Message from HPBC Disaster Relief Director, Darrell McCain 9-24-18:

 Well it has been a busy hurricane season so far and we are not out of season yet. Please stay vigilant in preparedness and ready to activate. Volunteers, we are now back on ALERT.
 
We had great help from Texas on the Big Island after the Hurricane Lane event. Several DR trained volunteers helped and several church members helped. We have completed our Big Island response except for a few request for mold remediation that the Big Island volunteers are taking care of. Hawaii Pacific Disaster Relief has helped 21 families with flood recovery on the Big Island, to date. The lava crisis is over and families have been allowed to return to their homes to clean up. Shelters are closed as of September 17. Please pray for our churches, families, and Big Island county employees as they are tired and stressed over the past several months. Our Hilo churches have done an amazing ministry serving the people of Hilo and Puna district. I would like to thank the Hilo churches for the support during these two events with meals, lodging, tools and equipment. 
Maui County is cleaning up after the fires where 21 structures burned down during the Lahaina fires. Approximately 83 homes had flooding issues from Tropical Storm Olivia. Pastor Jay Wright, Maui VOAD Chair and Pastor of Lahaina Baptist Church, led the fire clean up response. He also led the flooding clean up. Both clean ups had a lot of community help . Mahalo to his leadership for his response efforts.
Mahalo for your prayers and financial support for our Disaster Relief ministry. Please continue to pray for the survivors and please continue to support Hawaii Pacific Disaster Relief..
 
Hurricane Florence in the Carolina’s response. If you are looking to respond with a SBDR trained team, church member team, or combination team, please start looking at dates that you would like to go. Carolina’s are still mass feeding and some roads are still closed. They will need flood recovery help for several months after the water recedes, just like Hurricane Harvey in Texas. It will be a long recovery effort. 
If you would like to go, you will need to cover your airfare cost. The host state will cover your lodging and meals and most of the safety equipment, if not all. I will try to get more info as it becomes available. Let me know if you are planning to send a team and I will help you with contact personnel.
 
OR send checks made payable to:
Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention
2042 Vancouver Drive
Honolulu, HI 96822
Memo: Disaster Relief