Ongoing God Cares Outreach Events Have Extended Hope to More Than 15,000 Katrina and Rita Victims
Springfield, Mo. — After Convoy of Hope’s initial response to the immediate needs of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita victims, the organization set out to address the ongoing hurts of people who have suffered tremendous loss, not only physically and materially, but emotionally. Out of the overwhelming need to ease the suffering of hurting people and offer them hope, Convoy of Hope’s “God Cares” campaign was born.
The campaign includes a series of one-day outreach events, which are being held throughout 2006 and 2007 in affected Miss., La. and Texas communities. According to U.S. Outreach Director, Ron Showers, “The name ‘God Cares’ fully encompasses the purpose of these outreach events: to let the people of the Gulf Coast know that God has not forgotten them.”
Each event is entirely free and features health and dental screenings, haircuts, activities for children, live entertainment and grocery distribution. Through the help of hundreds of volunteers, attendees are welcomed as honored guests and served with love. The positive atmosphere helps produce a day devoted to relaxation, fun and hope for a brighter future.
After working with Convoy of Hope at an event in Gautier, Miss. Pastor Rick Smith said, “It was amazing to me how emotional people got when we told them that we were there to serve them and that they were the guests of honor…to actually have someone who cares do something for them...it was a blessing.”
Showers also witnessed the impact that the outreach events have on the guests. He recalls the first God Cares event in Ocean Springs, Miss. “The fourth guest that came through the line burst into tears and thanked us for coming. She was overwhelmed by the fact that she wasn’t forgotten. Every guest that attended that day was thankful for a chance to get away from the constant reminder of their desperate situation.”
New Orleans will see “God Cares” events in November. An event will serve the Ninth Ward, one of the areas most devastated by Hurricane Katrina, on Nov. 11, 2006. Two additional events will be held in other New Orleans locations the following weekend.
The upcoming Nov. outreach events in New Orleans are opportunities for Convoy of Hope and the organization’s dedicated volunteers to continue extending hope and love to hurting people. One full year after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast, forever changing the landscape and the lives of those who called it home, the residents need a reminder that God Cares.
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For more information:
Jeff Nene, COH Media Director, mobile 417/860-2196
http://www.convoyofhope.org
For more than ten years, Convoy of Hope™, a nonprofit organization, has provided resources to organizations and churches to meet physical and spiritual needs for the purpose of making the community a better place. This is accomplished through domestic and international outreaches, supply lines, and disaster response.