Working together: A Wal-Mart tractor, an Operation Blessing trailer, loaded with ice from Wal-Mart

OBI volunteers work at one of the Salvation Army's mobile canteens

Picking up and delivering emergency supplies across Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, our truck drivers have been making sure our Hurricane Isabel relief efforts assist thousands of disaster victims during their critical time of need. As of today, an amazing 24 truckloads of food and relief supplies have been handed to families who are trying to rebuild their lives – many of whom are still without electricity.

A Truck Driver’s Experience
Allyn Remington, one of our truck drivers, is actively taking part in this disaster relief effort both on a professional and personal level. Beginning early Sunday, she delivered a load of rice, cereal, beans, beverages and cleaning supplies to The Salvation Army post in Greenvile, North Carolina. After returning in the afternoon, Allyn volunteered her time to serve a dinner of cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, soup, corn and beverages to disaster victims at The Salvation Army in Portsmouth, VA.

“People were blown away that we were doing this,” she commented. “These are people that haven’t had to ask for help before. They couldn’t believe Operation Blessing and The Salvation Army were doing this for free and because of this, were hesitant to take refills.”

A Mother’s Question
After eating, a middle-aged mother with a pre-teen son pulled Allyn aside. She asked the gracious server where she could pay for the meal. When Allyn told her it was really free, her eyes welled up with thankful tears. Another grateful couple went home, got their camera and came back to take a picture of the volunteers that had helped them endure this difficult time of life without electricity.

Having seen first-hand the destruction that Hurricane Floyd left several years ago, Allyn shared, “In spite of the great need we see around us right now, God protected us and is still providing for us. Operation Blessing has also been able to forge unique relationships with The Salvation Army, Dominion Power and Wal-Mart so we can be much more prepared for future disaster response.” Since her Sunday experience, Allyn has delivered three loads to The Salvation Army centers in Virginia.

Your help is needed now!
Damage reports are still coming in. But OBI can only respond with the same amount of support that our faithful partners give us. President George W. Bush declared Virginia and many other effected areas as “States of Emergency”. While electric companies work to restore power, it is estimated that in Virginia’s Hampton Roads area it will still take days to fix all of the problems. In parts of North Carolina it is expected to take a couple of weeks! Thousands throughout North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland are desperate for help in cleaning their flooded homes, fixing hot meals, and recovering from devastating loses.

Your gift of $50 or more can assist OBI in delivering critical emergency food and supplies to families recovering from Hurricane Isabel. There’s no time to waste; the need is now.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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