Response to Hurricane Sandy

VRBC partners with many individuals and organizations who are on the front lines of response in a disaster like Hurricane Sandy. In the initial days following, donations are incredibly helpful as they provide immediate relief. In the coming weeks, there will likely be more opportunities for personal involvement, after they have had a chance to mobilize and equip their field personnel to receive teams. Please see below for giving opportunities to assist our partners responding to Hurricane Sandy.


Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Fellowship's model for response ministry is to be a long-term presence, helping communities recover and rebuild. You can help those affected by the storm by giving online or mail your check to CBF with “Disaster Response” in the memo line. Stay up-to-date on other ways you can assist through CBF’s Disaster Response Mission Community.

World Vision
World Vision is responding with kits of relief supplies (flood clean-up, hygiene, and family food kits) pre-positioned at its warehouse in the Bronx, which also suffered flooding. Up to a third of the stock in the warehouse has been destroyed, though much of the supply pre-positioned for emergency relief operations remains intact. Additional relief supplies are en route to New York from World Vision’s national domestic disaster headquarters in North Texas. Our offices in Washington, D.C., and West Virginia remain closed. You can stay up to date with what World Vision is doing here. If you are interested in contributing to World Vision's disaster relief in these areas, we have three opportunities:

• GIVE to World Vision's US Disaster Response Fund
• PRAY for the victims, first responders, communities, and WV staff impacted by this disaster. (Email Amy Wilkins for the WV prayer guide.)
• VOLUNTEER to assemble hygiene kits

Texas Baptist Men
Due to the widespread damage caused by hurricane Sandy, Texas Baptist Men have been asked by Coy Webb, the Kentucky Baptist Men Disaster Relief Director to be ready to provide volunteers to work with Kentucky Baptist Men feeding units in Orange County, New York. The Kentucky feeding units are en route now to Orange County, New York to set up feeding operations to support American Red Cross in feeding the population affected by the storm. Find updates here. Click here to make a donation to support TBM's disaster relief ministry. Click here to get information on volunteer trainings.

Eikon New York
While not yet an official VRBC-supported missionary, Steven Dilla is a friend of VRBC children's pastor Amy Goble. Steven and his wife Emily are planting a church in lower Manhattan and have the relationships in place to begin serving those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Their area was hit hard and is without electricity until Friday or Saturday, no drinkable water, and many are running out of food and water supplies. They are mobilizing now to help get food and water to those in the Lower East Side, a low-income area that was one of the hardest hit by the storm. Their new church, Eikon New York, is gathering friends to deliver food and water to an apartment building with many single moms, elderly and a few wheelchair bound (who are stuck on their floor without elevator service) where all are without power and about half have run out of water and have limited food. Visit Steven's blog for details on the project and the latest updates on their relief efforts. They need to raise about $2,000 for this project. Click here to donate to their efforts, and be sure to mention 'Sandy' in the notes section.