The mission of Disaster Relief ministry is to share the love of Christ with people in need immediately following a disaster event.

• Our volunteers demonstrate God’s love in practical ways such as providing hot meals, removing fallen trees from roofs and making temporary home repairs so that families can move back home after a disaster.

Our disaster relief teams are prepared to mobilize and set up their ministry work as soon as a disaster occurs. Once the immediate “crisis” period following a disaster has passed and the local infrastructure can once again meet the basic needs of community residents, the ministry of “disaster relief” is finished and the ministry of “community rebuilding” begins.

• This rebuilding is best accomplished by local churches in partnership with mission teams and other community organizations.

Our disaster relief ministry team is made up of several hundred trained volunteers from Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware congregations.

• These volunteers travel at their own expense for up to a week at a time in response to disaster relief needs both locally and across our nation.

In addition to our trained volunteers, our disaster relief resources include several self-contained trailers or “units” owned and maintained by our partner associations.

• Each of our two mobile kitchen feeding units is capable of feeding 5000+ hot meals per day. Volunteers serving with these units are trained in preparing nutritious meals in high-volume situations.

Our two recovery units are outfitted with power equipment and generators to facilitate the work of removing fallen trees, mud out and making temporary repairs to damaged homes. Our volunteers are trained to operate this equipment in a safe and efficient manner.

Our new communications unit is now in operation.

• This unit will is equipped to set up temporary communications across a disaster response area and provide logistical and tactical support for our disaster relief units. Volunteers in communications are trained in providing communications in a skilled and professional manner.

In addition to our partnership with Maryland/Delaware Baptist congregations and local associations, we partner with the following:

• North American Mission Board (NAMB)
• Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)
• Sister Baptist state conventions.
• During actual disaster relief operations, we partner with the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other voluntary organizations active in disaster response.

For information pertaining to "Rebuilding Communities after a disaster" please refer to our "Rebuilding Needs" page.