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Hurricane Harvey Relief - Donations and Trip

Just 12 days ago, we were moved and overwhelmed by the devastation and flooding wreaked on East Texas by Hurricane Harvey. We asked you to: Pray earnestly, Give, and Wait. Now, less than 2 weeks later, we have watched Hurricane Irma demolish much of the Caribbean Islands like Barbuda and Cuba while anticipating the damage to much of Florida. We have prayed for friends and family as many fled for safer, higher ground.

Well, now we are asking for your help in the wake of both Harvey and Irma (with Jose on the way!). Now is the time for us to step up and make a definite difference in the lives of those who have been irrevocably touched by these incredible storms. Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Continue to PRAY... Pray for those who have lost family members, homes and the memories contained therein. Pray for the churches in Texas, Florida, and every other area affected...pray that they might be the hands and feet of Jesus to a people whose world is shaken and vulnerable.
    
2. Donate and give... Things we know are needed at this point include:

• Cases of Bottled Water
• Work Gloves (not garden gloves)
• Masks
• Crowbars
• Hammers
• Utility Knifes and Blades
• Step Ladders
• Shovels
• Power Strips
• Floor Fans
• Sharpies of different sizes and colors (for labeling boxes and items)
• Battery Powered Camping Lanterns / Headlamps
• Bags (contractor, trash, gallon zip locks)
• Rolls of Duct Tape & Packing Tape
• Hand Sanitizer
• Bug Repellent
• Cases of Toilet Paper or Paper Towels
• Plastic Bins / Containers (different sizes with lids)
• House Cleaning Solvents
• Pre-packaged Snacks
• Newspapers (for packing)

A truck will be ready to receive donations in the front parking lot of WRCC’s Noblesville location before and after services on the weekends of September 21/24 and September 28/October 1.

3. Time to go... Many have asked, “When are we going?” The answer is October 6-14, 2017. We have decided to reroute our South Texas mission trip from the border area to Houston. While we had previously closed the trip with our 9 participants, registration is open again for you to go. You have until the end of business on Wednesday, 9/20 to register to go with us.
    

Click here to go >>

• Cost for this trip is: $350 (we are driving). 
• This trip is open to adults and youth over the age of 15. Anyone under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent and able to do adult appropriate work/lifting.

Hurricane Harvey - Response to Help

White River Christian Church is prayerfully considering the right and wise way to engage in the relief and recovery process for the devastation caused in Texas by Hurricane Harvey. We have heard from a number of people wanting to know how they can help.

There are three principal ways that you can help our brothers and sisters in South Texas and the entire region:

Pray earnestly for first responders, national guard, coast guard and all those actively rescuing those in harm's way. Pray for the churches in the area...pray that the leaders there are finding ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a region devastated by the storm and flooding.

Give. We know that there are numerous organizations willing to receive donations, but WRCC wants to recommend a ministry that we know and have already given to in regard to Hurricane Harvey. We trust they will get funding, personnel, and supplies where it’s needed most:

IDES: The International Disaster Emergency Service is located here in Noblesville and exists to to meet physical and spiritual needs of suffering people throughout the world in the name of Jesus Christ. Helping people in times of disaster is why IDES exists, and they work with first responders, government agencies and other disaster relief agencies to provide relief in the wake of times like these. You can give directly to Hurricane Harvey relief at https://secure.paperlesstrans.com/IDESMobile. Under the Designation tab, select the word “Hurricane” from the drop down menu to designate your gift to this purpose.

Wait to go... If you are not a trained professional, it is best to wait to go. We are in the process of determining the appropriate way and connections to help. This does not mean that we aren’t going to take a trip... it just means we are figuring out the right way to do it. Sometimes the abundance of help can be overwhelming for places going through this type of devastation. We want to make sure our help is needed, appropriate and is the best possible blessing it can be to our friends in Texas.

When we have the ability and the right way of helping, we will let all of our WRCC family know how to help, what to bring and when we will send volunteers.