LYNCHBURG, Va. – Organizations across Central Virginia are making plans to provide disaster relief to Hurricane Harvey victims.
"We're planning on working Samaritans First partnering up with them. They're just setting up to receive overnight volunteers this coming Saturday," Vincent Valeriano, associate director of LU Send Now, said.
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LU Send Now will have about 12 people head down to Texas. "Getting them back on their feet as they're recovering from this disaster. So really just being there for them spiritually, emotionally and physically,” Valeriano said.
While some are packing to fly out this weekend. Others are waiting for the green light.
"We're still seeing flooding going on so we're kind of in a holding pattern right now. We're waiting for permission to go,” Mark Gauthier, director of SBC of VA Disaster Relief, said.
Southern Baptist Convention works with about 50 to 75 churches in the Lynchburg area. Organizers predict they'll be sending more than 100 volunteers to Texas in the next several weeks.
“We're being called down there just because of the totality of this disaster. It's going to be a Katrina-type disaster,” Gauthier said.
In the meantime, SBC of Virginia says they're ready to go. They've got trailers for people to shower and to prepare food.
"When we take this to a disaster area we can go into a neighborhood and this could feed 1,000 people a day,” Gauthier said.
And to help rehabilitate homes.
"We'll remove all the drywall, all the flooring pressure, wash the house and sanitize it. So that by the time we're done they're ready for contractors to come in and rebuild the house.,” Gauthier said.
With more than 15 years of experience in disaster relief, help, healing and hope is what some in the Commonwealth want to give back to Texans.
"People during a disaster just are broken. They've lost, many cases, lost everything. And they need someone to come alongside them and help them begin the process of putting their life back together,” Gauthier said.
To help SBC of Virginia's efforts with Hurricane Harvey victims go to sbcv.org/harvey.