[StBernard] USA: Relief efforts begin for Gustav victims

[Westley Annis]

USA: Relief efforts begin for Gustav victims
By: Staci Dennis 

NEW ORLEANS - Even though Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded to a tropical
depression, remote coastal areas from Mississippi to New Orleans are still
in need of aid. 

"Last night we received confirmation from Mayor Ben Morris of Slidell that
OBI's assistance will not be required there and only minimal assistance is
needed in St Bernard Parrish," OBI President Bill Horan said. "The areas in
desperate need are farther to the west and more isolated." 

Today, a convoy left Hattiesburg for St Bernard Parrish where they will set
up temporary headquarters at a local partnering church to immediately assist
locals and send assessment teams to Homa, Thibodeaux and other hard-hit
coastal areas. As soon as target impact areas are identified, OBI will
establish a base camp to house, feed and manage volunteer teams. 

Included in the convoy is a 20-ton telescoping mobile crane with rigging for
tree removal; a skid-steer loader and a construction trailer filled with
generators, chain saws, tools and safety equipment; roof repair supplies
including blue tarps, furring strips and nails. 

A portable shower trailer as well as Mercy Chefs' mobile feeding kitchen is
also being dispatched to St. Bernard Parrish. 

Before the storm, Operation Blessing teamed up with the Healing Place Church
in Baton Rouge, La., to use the facility to stockpile 43,000 pounds of
emergency relief supplies including food, water, hygiene items and
disposable diapers. 

As of yesterday, the church began distribution of aid to residents and
evacuees. 

During the weekend, OBI teams moved key staff, portable equipment and
supplies to Hattiesburg, Miss. to stand by until the storm came ashore. 

Above, OBI's disaster relief team holds a briefing inside the mobile command
center. 

"We wanted to be poised and ready, close-but-not-too-close' to the projected
impact area," Horan said. 

In addition to working with local emergency management officials, OBI is
also working closely with partners in the Christian Relief Cooperative,
including The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Samaritan's
Purse, Billy Graham Rapid Response and Convoy of Hope. 

The Gulf Coast is a familiar place for OBI workers. Teams spent more than
two-and-a-half-years in the region for post-Katrina relief efforts. During
that time, OBI provided $60 million in relief that included 265,000 hours of
volunteer service and operating a free medical clinic. 

Other efforts post-Katrina includes helping the city fight potential deadly
diseases by treating thousands of stagnant swimming pools with
mosquito-eating fish. In addition, OBI helped prepare more than 1 million
free meals for emergency responders and volunteers; donated an entire fleet
of busses to St. Bernard Parish for transportation of relief workers and
volunteers; and providing roughly $5 million in cash grants to local
nonprofit organizations' relief efforts. 

"Two and a half years of experience in helping the people of Louisiana pick
up the pieces of their lives following Katrina have prepared OBI to answer
the call should Gustav hit the Gulf Coast," Horan said.