DR Delivers Supplies to Workers in Kentucky

Relief Supplies Delivered to DR Workers in Kentucky

ASHLAND, Ky.- Driver Eddie Byers rolled the SEND Relief semi-truck up to the Appalachian Ministry Center on Monday, and the work began.

By Tuesday morning, he was on the way to storm-ravaged western Kentucky and Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, with enough roofing material for 480 homes, meals, and plastic totes.

Jamie Elkins of Send Relief packs plastic totes onto the back of a Send Relief truck.

“We’re going to be hitting five different spots,” said Jamie Elkins, who works in the Ashland center. “We’re hitting four spots in Kentucky and one in Tennessee.”

Elkins said they’ve packed 240 rolls of roofing and 10,000 furring strips – thin strips of wood used to level or raise walls and ceilings. He said they also included some meals and plastic totes for tornado victims to store personal belongings.

Byers, who has volunteered with Send Relief since August, when he drove supplies to Hurricane Ida in Louisiana, said it’s a matter of showing God’s love.

“Personally, I’m an Acts 1:8 person, and we’re commanded to do our missionary work at home and abroad,” he said. “I’ve made several trips to Hurricane Ida and saw the destruction and damage there. It really hits home when it happens right here in your own backyard. A lot of times, you don’t think it will happen to you, and I’m sure that went through a lot of people’s minds in Mayfield, Kentucky. It’s imperative that we go to help and show God’s love.”

Many Maryland/Delaware Baptists have expressed an interest in helping with the Disaster Relief (DR) efforts in Kentucky and surrounding areas. Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) Community Engagement/DR Consultant Ellen Udovich says the most effective way for churches to help is to pray and give – both vital to relief efforts at this time. There will be many opportunities for hands-on, in the field work for DR volunteers in the months and years ahead.

You can make a donation through the BCM/D or give through SEND Relief.

This story originally appeared in Kentucky Today, written by Mark Maynard (used with permission). 

Cover photo: A SEND Relief semi tractor-trailer at the Appalachian Mission Center. This and other SEND Relief trucks are filled with supplies for DR workers (photo by Mark Maynard).