The H1N1 virus continues to spread. The CDC reported last week that the number of confirmed and suspected cases in the U.S. is now at 27,717. Mitigating the impact and impeding the spread of the disease continue to be the primary targets of the CDC. The CDC has just published information for travelers in the form of posters. This information is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
There are a number of resources available from SBDR to help individuals, families, churches and associations prepare for a possible pandemic.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is a partnership ministry of the state Baptist conventions and the North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention.
Resources:
Approximately 2,000 mobile units (feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild, generators, and others) To see 2009 Fleet Report, click here.
More than 88,000 trained volunteers, including trained disaster relief chaplains
Disaster relief units are owned and staffed by Southern Baptist churches, regional Baptist associations, and state Baptist conventions. Volunteer teams respond to disasters within their own state and work cooperatively with other states in larger emergencies. Teams also work overseas when Baptist Global Response requests help.
History:
The first Southern Baptist Disaster Relief response took place in 1967 when a small group of Texas volunteers helped victims of Hurricane Beulah by serving hot food cooked on small "buddy burners."
Forty years later, in 2008, Southern Baptist volunteers prepared almost 8 million meals. Click here for complete 2008 activity report. All assistance is provided to individuals and communities free of charge.