In addition to the physical help, our volunteers also provide spiritual and emotional care to disaster survivors. After Hurricane Ian, SC volunteers made nearly 800 ministry contacts – spiritual conversations, prayer, giving tracts or Bibles – with Florida residents. Three people accepted Christ as Savior as a result!

In the entire Hurricane Ian response, including DR teams from across the nation serving in 12 locations, 225 people came to salvation.

After the devastation of Hurricane Ian in late September and early October 2022, SCBaptists sent Disaster Relief teams to Wauchula, Venice, and Arcadia, FL. Our participation in the response lasted four weeks and included sending three mass feeding teams, four site feeding teams, twelve chainsaw and tarping units, and three flood recovery units. Two of the residents served shared their experiences on the receiving end of these DR teams. “We feel so fortunate to have the team with us today. Our husbands were not able to be here because they are farmers and this is a very busy season,” they said. “It is such a godsend to see these people come in here.”

The residents were incredibly grateful that they were being served when they so desperately needed help. “It’s just amazing. It restores my faith in humanity, certainly,” one woman said. “I certainly know our God is good and these people are just proof of that. It’s very emotional. It’s very hard, both physically and mentally, and that’s another thing that these people have helped us with. Not just the physical aspects, but the mental. Praying for us, encouraging us. It’s wonderful.”