By: Staci Dennis
ST. BERNARD PARISH - The darkened streets of New Orleans are bringing back haunting memories of post-hurricane Katrina days for many residents returning home.
More than 1 million people still remain without power and it could be another 5 weeks until residents of Baton Rouge have their power restored.
The power is still out in many areas and the only lights that can be seen at night are those of the police and National Guard," said Jody Herrington, Operation Blessing's director of U.S. Disaster Relief. "It is eerie and takes you back to the early days of Katrina because it is pitch black."
Operation Blessing disaster relief teams are on-scene helping feed the victims of Hurricane Gustav after a request from local officials. Teaming up with Mercy Chefs' mobile feeding kitchen and City of Hope, OBI is serving three meals a day to residents in need. Crews will remain on-site until the power has been restored.
OBI is also managing two ice stations in St. Bernard Parrish.
Area centers are running out of water to provide to hurricane victims and OBI has supplied more than 43,000 pounds of drinks to the area to help combat the crisis.
Teams have already traveled to Thibodaux, Housma, and Chauvin to assess the damages and will join with Christ in Action in Thibodaux doing chainsaw work; provide a generator and fuel to Miracle Place Church in Baton Rouge who is hosting more than 400 evacuees; and send a Hunger Strike Force truckload of supplies to Donaldsonville.
Additional supplies such as roof tarps and meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) are also being distributed.
Before Gustav, Operation Blessing teamed up with the Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, to use the facility to stockpile 43,000 pounds of emergency relief supplies including food, water, hygiene items and disposable diapers.
In addition, OBI has been working closely with partners in the Christian Relief Cooperative including The Salvation Army, Samaritan's Purse, Billy Graham Rapid Response and Convoy of Hope.
The Gulf Coast is a familiar place for OBI workers. Teams spent more than two-and-a-half-years in the region for post-Katrina relief efforts. During that time, OBI provided $60 million in relief that included 265,000 hours of volunteer service and operating a free medical clinic.
Other efforts post-Katrina includes helping the city fight potential deadly diseases by treating thousands of stagnant swimming pools with mosquito-eating fish. In addition, OBI helped prepare more than 1 million free meals for emergency responders and volunteers; donated an entire fleet of busses to St. Bernard Parish for transportation of relief workers and volunteers; and providing roughly $5 million in cash grants to local nonprofit organizations' relief efforts.
"Two and a half years of experience in helping the people of Louisiana pick up the pieces of their lives following Katrina have prepared OBI to answer the call should Gustav hit the Gulf Coast," OBI president, Bill Horan.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.