In February, South Carolina Baptists contributed $225,000 to Haiti relief efforts following the country’s devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. Also, the state convention’s disaster relief organization is preparing to send a fifth response team on March 21.
Cliff Satterwhite, director, disaster relief group, South Carolina Baptist Convention, said mobilization efforts will “start over” as South Carolina Disaster Relief prepares to send additional teams.
“The team we send on March 21 will be a combination medical and rebuild team,” Satterwhite said. “It will be going to a different location than the previous four teams. This next team will go to Cap-Haitien located about six hours north of Port-au-Prince and near the Dominican Republic border.” Cap-Haitien is the country’s fourth-largest city.
“Cap-Haitien is where many of the refugees have gone, and our teams will be providing followup to the care many refugees received immediately after the earthquake,” Satterwhite said. “Medical teams will be treating infections, pneumonia, and providing a lot of pediatric care.”
Satterwhite said South Carolina Disaster Relief will continue to send teams over the next several months.
At the March 5-6 Disaster Relief Training event at Anderson University, more than 950 came for training and about 500 attended a Saturday morning segment for response to international crises, Satterwhite said.
“There were about 350 individuals who expressed a real interest in going to serve on disaster relief teams,” Satterwhite said. “Obviously, we would need to get to know them, help them with paperwork, including passports, and find a team that meets their giftedness. It’s a process toward involvement.
“Honestly, I think it’s still too soon to send local church groups, including youth groups, because of the housing and safety situations.”
Satterwhite applauded South Carolina Baptists and their giving to Haiti relief efforts. Through donations to the SCBC Disaster Relief Haiti Fund, $225,000 was collected and distributed in February. The Florida Baptist Convention, which is at the point of state convention relief work, received $85,000; Baptist Global Response of the International Mission Board received $85,000; and the North American Mission Board, which is also involved in Haiti relief, received $55,000.
“We remind our churches that 100 percent of the money given to Haiti relief is going to Haiti relief,” Satterwhite said. – SCBC