A team of volunteers will finish work Friday, September 10, at St. Mark's/Harvey, LA. The Rev. Patrick Sanders, rector of St. Peter's-by-Sea/Gulfport, and the Very Rev. Stephen Kidd, St. Mark's/Gulfport, are leading a team to pull out wet carpet and clean up debris from the churchyard at St. Mark's/Harvey.
There is also a possibility of St. John’s/Pascagoula placing a supply truck at the parish for people to fill with donations of water, cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, non-perishable food, and other items to be sent to St. Mark’s/Harvey. The parish in LA has an active food pantry ministry. No clothes are needed.
St. John’s sent one supply truck to St. John’s/Thibodaux, LA, several days ago. The Rev. Holly Burris, rector of the parish in Thibodaux, is overseeing the distribution of the supplies.
Pearl River County
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the county EOC, and the Red Cross are currently doing assessments in Pearl River County. According to Dixie Reneault at Manna Ministries in Picayune, MS, there is a long list of persons who have placed their addresses on a list to be assessed.
"We are going to prioritize the needs of those who have sustained damage,” said Reneault. High priority persons are the elderly and disabled. “The initial list has over two hundred names.”
“Once assessments come in, the diocesan Disaster Preparedness and Response Team (DPRT) will look for jobs that fit our abilities,” said the Rev. Deacon Cathy Halford, who will be the new coordinator for the DPRT in October. Halford is a longtime member of the DPRT and is associated with the Red Cross, Episcopal Relief and Development, and other outreach ministries.
How you can help
If you or your parish are interested in doing on-site relief work, please notify Scott Lenoir, interim coordinator for the DPRT, at slenoir1@gmail.com or Cathy Halford at chalford48@yahoo.com.
If you would like to donate to Hurricane Ida relief, log on to the Diocese of Louisiana’s website HERE. Also, Episcopal Relief and Development accepts online donations HERE.
The Rev. Scott Lenoir is a member of the diocesan DPRT and editor of The Mississippi Episcopalian.
