Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) teams will be serving in Florida amid the response to the deadly and destructive Hurricane Ian.

Sam Porter, interim state director for Oklahoma Baptist DR, is in Washington, D.C. at the FEMA National Response Coordination Center, representing Southern Baptists amid the Hurricane response.

Volunteer teams from Oklahoma will be part of a multi-state, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) response. Sam Porter, interim state director of Oklahoma Baptist DR, said, “Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is heading east to help after Hurricane Ian. We will have teams of volunteers, trailers and more. We greatly need financial and prayer support for these efforts.”

Oklahoma Baptist DR equipment and volunteer teams are in transit to Florida, as of Oct. 6. Included in SBDR response will be feeding, chainsaw work, damage assessment, chaplaincy work and more. Porter said Oklahoma Baptists will be stationed at a recovery site near Daytona, Fla., with a focus on chainsaw work and flood recovery.

SBDR expects to set up multiple kitchens across the affected areas, each with the capacity to prepare at least 10,000 meals a day. As assessments continue, those locations are still being determined.

“With the size of teams we will be taking, along with trailers and equipment, the diesel fuel prices of transportation alone will be vast,” Porter said.

Oklahoma Baptists are asked financially donate to Oklahoma Baptist relief efforts, which can be done online at okdisasterhelp.org.

Along with serving as interim Oklahoma DR director, Porter is sitting in the Southern Baptist DR seat at the FEMA National Response Control Center in the Washington, D.C., where he will serve in part of coordinated disaster relief efforts.

“A catastrophic disaster takes a massive amount of coordination with Federal, State, county and local governments, as well as a multitude of non-profit/faith-based organizations like Southern Baptists assisting in a significant way,” he added.

“As you can imagine, this response will be a marathon-type response that will take many volunteers rotating long distance every week-to-10 days.”

For more information about volunteering, contact Pat Jones at pjones@oklahomabaptists.org.

“This ministry opens doors to share the Gospel like no other ministry that I’ve ever been involved with,” Porter said, “so pray for many new believers in Florida to be added to heaven’s book. Thanks in advance for your prayers for all Disaster Relief teams across the nation who will be responding for the next several weeks and even months.”

To make a financial donation to Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, visit okdisasterhelp.org.