Volunteers at the Ocala Word of Faith Church in Pensacola, Florida are still helping hurricane
victims in their community. The church has been assisting 5,500 people by handing out groceries,
cleaning supplies and hygiene items as well as trying to meet specific needs on a case-by-case basis;
families including Diana’s.
Diana and her husband were living in a trailer park on
the water’s edge before Hurricane Ivan came. The retired couple moved down from Massachusetts
six months ago. One week before Ivan made landfall, Diane’s daughter called to tell her
that she and her husband were moving down to live with them. On the drive down their car engine
blew up, so they started hitchhiking.
Diana’s daughter arrived in the middle of Ivan and found that her parent’s trailer
had blown away. Relief teams from Ocala World of Faith found Diana’s daughter and husband
sleeping in a tent and Diana and her husband living in a horse trailer on top of the rubble that
used to be their home. The family had found a mobile home to rent, but a tree fell on it, making
it unlivable until repairs were made. The team fixed the mobile home, gave them a refrigerator
full of food, and many other necessities. Diana’s family could not believe that people would
go to so much trouble to help out strangers!
Ocala Word of Faith Church is one of 68 faith-based organizations that Operation Blessing has
partnered with during our hurricane relief efforts. To date, we have made cash grants of $1,409,861
which has helped thousands of victims in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Cuba, Grenada,
Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. Even though these four hurricanes aren’t
making the headlines anymore, countless lives have been forever changed. While other relief agencies
have pulled out, Operation Blessing is there for the long term.
Diapers or Gas
Perry and his wife were desperate for help as they drove by the Pensacola Worship Center. Hurricane
Ivan’s powerful winds had shut off the couple’s electricity. All of the food in their
recently filled refrigerator had spoiled. To make matters worse, Perry had been laid off from
work, and was forced to depend on his wife’s small salary for survival.
With less than $10 in their pockets, the couple had to choose between buying a couple of gallons
of gas and buying diapers for the baby. They chose to buy gas and use it to look for diapers.
While driving, they saw the Operation Blessing partner’s sign for free food and pulled in.
The church was also giving away diapers! “You have no idea what this means to us. Thank
you so much for caring enough to come all this way,” said the grateful father.
There are many more hurricane families needing our help! The storms have passed, but many are
still in the long process of recovery.
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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