IDES is a Christian organization that has been around for years, and provides relief world wide.
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| "40 Minutes of Terror" was the headline on the USA Today newspaper. The article was reporting about the EF-5 tornado that terrorized the Oklahoma City area on Monday, May 20th. In less than an hour, two schools and entire subdivisions were flattened in Moore, Oklahoma. It is overwhelming to think how in such a short period of time thousands of lives were forever altered.
Immediately after hearing and seeing the tragic news about the damage in and around Oklahoma City, IDES' personnel began to pack their bags. At daylight the trucks and trailers were loaded with equipment and supplies. Disaster Relief Coordinators, Joe Luttrell and Kit Gentis, were soon on their way to offer help and hope to the churches and individuals devastated the day before.
Joe and Kit arrived at Draper Park Christian Church on Wednesday evening. They spent Thursday surveying the damage and assessing the needs. They had a very productive meeting with ministers and church leaders from several of the Christian Church congregations located in the Oklahoma City area. They are assisting these leaders in organizing relief efforts. Several of these churches have already opened their buildings for volunteers to stay and work in their community. Supplies are being delivered daily and are being distributed to the families in need, as well as providing the basic necessities for the mass of volunteer laborers. Because of the great out pouring of supplies being donated, finding space to store them is becoming a problem. One item NOT needed is USED CLOTHING! Most of the supplies can be purchased in Oklahoma City; it may be better stewardship of time & resources to give financial gifts so that supplies may be purchased as needed by the people at the site. Beginning today (Friday) Joe & Kit are going to purchase materials and begin building storage sheds for families to securely store what few belongings they may have left. The plan is for the local volunteers to mass produce the walls, floors, and roofs of the sheds, and have the out of town volunteers to assemble them on the home sites in the disaster zone.
Joe will be providing the IDES' office with the contact information of the personnel at each church that will be in charge of scheduling work teams and handling the receiving of supplies. We will post this information as soon as it is available to us in the office. Meanwhile, you may call the IDES' office and give us your contact information and we will pass it along to the coordinators when they are ready to receive it.
IDES was thankful to have some U.S. Disaster funds on hand to begin the relief efforts. However, we do not have enough funds to sustain any lengthy recovery endeavors. The total recovery and rebuilding of these communities will be in the billions of dollars. Our involvement will be determined by the gifts you and other faithful partners provide.
Based on our experience in Joplin and Southern Indiana, we will need a minimum of $500,000 to sustain any significant recovery and rebuilding activities. We need your immediate help.
Would you please consider a designated gift of $50, $100, $500 or $1000? Maybe, your church would receive an offering to help with the relief efforts. We desperately want to assist as many churches and individuals as possible. Would you please partner with us today in offering help and hope to the thousands whose lives were forever altered by this monster tornado?
Thank you.
Rick Jett
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