Update from Roswell, New Mexico
CBDR is hard at work in Roswell, New Mexico, after devastating flash floods in October. Two big jobs were assigned to the first CBDR team (pictures to the left) and were completed within a few days of arrival. Four other states have sent their Disaster Relief teams in to help as well. Volunteers will be rotating in and out over the next few weeks. Hopefully all the requests for assistance with property clean up will be completed before Thanksgiving.
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Snowed in, but still Bringing Help, Hope and Healing!
Mass Evacuation Exercise in Pikes Peak Region
Always ready to Bring Help, Hope and Healing. This week CBDR Feeding Team helped at a mass Evacuation exercise with the Office of Emergency Management and Sheriff’s offices in Pikes Peak region.. Way to go – TEAM!!!
Alexander Mountain Forever in Our Prayers
CBDR will be closing our work in the Alexander Mountain fires this Saturday, September 21st. Our CBDR volunteers have worked very hard and put in long hours under some difficult conditions. The teams have been dedicated to Bring: Help, Hope and Healing to those we ministered. We did not get to meet all the property owners that we sifted and cleared their properties, but everyone has been so gracious and thankful for the work that has been done.
There are so many great stories to tell about the very fruitful time during this recovery and clean-up in the mountains of Drake, Colorado, which we will share later.
Tom and Gail Hoffman, who were great hosts, allowed us to stay at their home and use the lower area of their property for volunteers’ campers. Can you imagine having up to 12 people at your home that you have never met and make sure they are fed 3 meals a day for four weeks? They did a fantastic job of making us feel welcome! The community, our hosts, and the Serve 6.8 Ministry provided food for all our meals the entire time. We are so thankful for how all these people came together to make it easier for us to complete the clean up of the 28 properties we worked on.
Thank you for your prayers as our CBDR Volunteers ministered to those in need! Many of us will need to get some rest after this long deployment.
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Fire Clean-Up (Ash Out Recovery) Process
CBDR Volunteers are working hard to clear the properties in the recent fire on Alexander Mountain. Here is what the process looks like. Foundations are full of ash; volunteers sift for personal valuables for the homeowners; then the ash is bagged and hauled away. At that point the property is cleared and ready for rebuild. CBDR Volunteers, thank you for serving and bringing Help, Hope and Healing to those on the “hill.”
CBDR Highlighted by Colorado VOAD
This October, Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (COVOAD) has a special COVOAD Member Spotlight of the Colorado Baptist Disaster Response (CBDR) Program led by Dennis Belz. This spotlight highlights the incredible CBDR team, an exemplary mitigation and volunteer training project they completed this summer, and the passion and dedication they bring everyday to serve and support our communities across Colorado through every phase of disaster.
2023 Larry Loser Volunteer of the Year Receipent
Each year the faithful service of a CBDR Volunteer is award the “Larry Loser Volunteer of the Year Award.” The 2023 recipient is Jerry Percell. Jerry has excelled in serving during deployments, assisting with maintenance and moving of vehicles and resources, leadership and training. Thank you, Jerry, for your dedication in bringing help, hope and healing to those who have suffered loss.
First Deployment in Maui
CBDR has deployed our first volunteer (Tory Keller) to help with Personal Property Recovery from the destructive wild fire in Lahaina, Hawaii. She will be serving with local Hawaii Pacific Baptist Church volunteers along with other SBDR Region 1 (Western Region) states in ash-out and sifting through the debris.
Update: Tory reports she has teamed up with a team from California, who has lovingly nicknamed her “CAL-orado.” They gear up and walk a distance uphill to their assigned property. Please continue to pray for Troy and our DR workers as they Bring Help, Hope and Healing in Lahaina.