MOUNT JULIET — There was no shortage of work for Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers in 2022.
In addition to following up on disasters from 2021, including multi-state severe storms in December and the Waverly flood in August, Tennessee volunteers responded to wildfires in Sevier County, a tornado in Goshen, Ohio, flooding in Kentucky and Hurricane Ian.
The responses do not include numerous local volunteer responses all across the state, said Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
While Tennessee DR volunteers love to provide help to disaster victims, they are especially eager to share the good news of Jesus Christ, Jones said.
Wes Jones
In 2022, DR volunteers made 2,833 contacts, resulting in 491 gospel presentations and 42 known professions of faith, Jones said.
“It is exciting to see how volunteers not only meet physical needs but also show concern for the spiritual needs of the folks they encounter,” Jones said.
“Our volunteers do not hesitate to state the reason why they offer their services at no charge,” he continued. And, “that reason is Jesus,” Jones affirmed.
During the past year, Tennessee volunteers contributed 3,534 work days and 68,072 hours of work, Jones said.
Services provided by Tennessee DR included:
• 2,488 meals prepared
• 1,482 assessments
• 404 crisis buckets distributed
Stanley Roach, disaster relief director for Knox County Baptists and member of Lyons Creek Baptist Church, Strawberry Plains, shows how high the water rose in front of the house in the background. Team members cleaned out the basement for the homeowner.
• 100 “tear outs”• 61 mold remediations
• 348 chain saw jobs
• 37 debris removals
• 9,339 heavy equipment hours
• 112 temporary roofs
• 20 repair jobs
• 6,765 showers
• 2,784 laundry loads
“Our volunteers have shown a willingness over the decades to tackle any job assigned or that needs to be done,” Jones said.
“We will be ready to respond to whatever needs arise in 2023,” he pledged.
Jones noted that Tennessee disaster relief volunteers and teams are already in Kentucky, assisting homeowners in rebuilding homes lost to flooding last July. B&R
