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Webster Parish residents continue to help flood victims

by Minden Press-Herald

Supplies and a helping hand continue to flow from the Minden area as churches and citizens join forces to help those in need in south Louisiana.

Jennifer Thomas, with First United Methodist Church in Minden, says they’ve already sent one team down to help with muck out efforts and taking supplies to those in need.

“Our pastor, (the Rev.) Brian Mercer, is down there right now with a team,” she said. “Our associate pastor and youth minister, Jason Harris, is taking a team down Saturday morning.”
Also, another team will be dispatched next week, she said.

She says they have plenty of flood buckets to take down there, but the supplies they need are for the volunteers, such as protective eyewear, gloves, masks, utility knives, box cutters, wheelbarrows, stepstools, among others. Many of the cleaning supplies going down south include bleach, mold and mildew remover and other cleaning supplies necessary to help flood victims clean up their homes.

Thomas says area churches have joined with them to send teams. She says Pine Grove, Homer, Lakeview Methodist Church and even St. John’s Episcopal Church sent people that are down south now. Teams will be going down south as often as necessary and as volunteers can go, she said.

“I know there will be continued needs moving forward, so I think it will be people that are still willing to go,” she said. “It’s been great to see the people willing to go and sacrifice their time to go down there. It’s just such a blessing.”

Other supplies, such as food, water, personal hygiene items will be going as well, depending on how many go and how much room they will have as teams make their way south. She says they are coordinating with First United Methodist Church in Denham Springs which has become a point of distribution.

First Baptist Church in Minden is working through the Louisiana Baptist Convention to collect and distribute donations and supplies to go to south Louisiana. Marva Joslin, with FBC Minden, says the church is a drop off point for the LBC, and volunteers are there from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each weekday to take in donations.

“They’re going down to Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, and they’re mudding out the homes,” she said. “As we get more supplies in, we’ll take them wherever the Baptist Convention tells us to take them.”

Living Word in Minden is hosting a chicken plate fundraiser Friday at the church, located at 440 Highway 531, to help cover expenses for a team going over the Labor Day weekend to help flood victims.

Plates include a smoked chicken quarter, beans, potato salad, roll and cookies for $8. Plates will be pick up or delivery – delivery for five plates or more. Any money raised above what they need will go to further efforts to assist flood victims.

Trey Waller, associate pastor for Living Word, says there are a limited number of plates, so for those who wish to place their order, do so by noon Thursday, by calling 371-9462. For those who do not get a chicken plate and still wish to give, Waller says to go to their website at www.purposeconf.com/give

He says it will go directly into the account for the trip.

Waller, founder of the Purpose Conference, a conference for young adults, says they are working with a church in south Louisiana that did not flood, but 75 percent of the congregation did. He says if much of the mud outs have already been completed by the time they get there, they will do whatever is needed.

“We have a desire to go down there to help hurting people,” he said. “With the conference, we’re going to have young people all in one place, and we’re going to invite them to go to put their hand to something to help hurting people.”

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