The damage caused by recent hurricanes, including Hurricane Helene, has been of historic proportions. Amid the tragedy, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) teams from numerous states have been stepping in to provide help and hope.

In connection with all SBDR efforts, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) teams have been assisting, creating a volunteer force from all 42 state convention SBDR ministries.

According to reports, as of Oct. 14, 2024, for the network of SBDR state conventions, the following spiritual and material impact included the following:

— 725,985 meals prepared

— 126,969 volunteer work hours

— 892 Gospel Conversations

— 96 Professions of Faith

— 1,361 work requests

— 28 convention DR ministries responding to 40 sites across 6 states

For Oklahoma DR’s response, chainsaw and recovery teams are serving in Vidalia, GA. They are in the second week of a 4-week commitment to supply teams in the area. Last week, Oklahoma DR provided supplies for volunteers to operate a mass feeding kitchen in Vidalia so storm victims and DR volunteers can have warm meals.

Oklahoma DR is also operating a recovery site in North Carolina. They are stationed at Swannanoa, First and are responsible for providing laundry services, showers, meals for volunteers, leadership to coordinate all work done through the NC site and also to coordinate the distribution of bottled water and crisis care buckets. Chainsaw and recovery teams will also be sent to the site to help with response. According to Oklahoma Disaster Relief Director Jason Yarbrough, Oklahoma DR’s anticipated commitment to this NC area is one month.

“I am super proud of our Oklahoma volunteers and their desire to serve those that are hurting and their faithfulness to the mission to advance the gospel through disaster response,” he added.

In 2024, Oklahoma DR volunteers alone reported the following numbers:

— 339 Gospel Conversations

— 22 Professions of Faith

— 289 Bibles Distributed

— 3,180 ministry contacts

— 39,281 hours volunteered

— 33,200 meals prepared

— 2,621 showers and 1,393 loads of laundry provided

A large portion of those numbers have come from response to the recent hurricanes. DR volunteers both in Oklahoma and across the country have been working hard to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of those effected by extreme weather.

Still, there is much work to do. Yarbrough is thankful to those who have been supporting DR through prayer and requests for those prayers to continue.

“The prayers that we receive give us strength to know that we can handle this,” he said. “Oklahomans have been busy this year. Pray that they’re rested, ready and able to go meet the needs because it’s vast.”

For more information, or to make a tax-deductible donation to Oklahoma Baptist DR, visit www.okdisasterhelp.org.