Two horrific hurricanes in less than a month as wildfires burn throughout the western United States. The need is overwhelming. For the unaffected, the temptation is to ignore, shut our eyes, turn away, and go out for entertainment. Please don’t look away. Find ways to help.

If you live in the western U.S., please find ways to help your neighbors with food, shelter, water, prayers, and encouragement. If you are looking for ways to help the coastal flood zones in Texas, Louisiana, and now Florida, we want to offer you two avenues of proven help that extend across denominational lines and reach out to anyone in need.

As we began this week, we were pointing you to the Hurricane Bucket Challenge to help with the immediate and long-term cleanup needs of Houston. We continue to point you in that direction and here are two ways to help:

Drop Off Buckets filled with cleaning goods (note the link to a list of specific items) at these drop off sites (note the link to specific churches taking donations of buckets and cleaning supplies).

Of course, you can always send a monetary donation by clicking the donate button link.

Now, Irma is wreaking havoc on lives; so we want you to know folks who are committed to helping Florida during this new and overwhelming Hurricane Irma crisis. Let me introduce you to my long-time friend, Steve Puckett and his church.

The Melbourne Church of Christ has been actively involved in storm relief efforts, both foreign and domestic, over the 33 years that Steve has served as Senior Preaching Minister. Their church has a weekly ministry of feeding and clothing those in need. They currently help to provide food and necessities to about 150 people each week who visit their food pantry and their congregation is known in the community as “the church that feeds and helps people.” Their commitment to helping during times of disaster is well-proven.

God bless you for any help you can give to any or all of these good works.
During the 2004 hurricanes of Charley, Frances, and Ivan, they helped at least 1500 people with items ranging from water, food, and diapers to property repair and clean up. Their church served as a base of operations for the Disaster Response Team (or DRT), whom they’ve supported and with whom they’ve partnered since 2004. This team of volunteers maintains a regular onsite presence in almost every US disaster. They provide the following along with their experience and expertise:

  • Mobile Shower Trailer

  • Trained Coordinators

  • Completely stocked tool trailers

  • Health kits

  • Clean-Up kits

  • Baby kits

  • School kits

  • Along with a variety of other services.

The Melbourne Church has ministered through over a dozen hurricanes since 1984. They have learned how best to serve and reach those who need it most. They also partner with dozens of other Florida churches on each coast of Florida.

If you want to help by making a monetary donation, send it here with “Hurricane Relief” in the memo line:

Melbourne Church
810 Hollywood Blvd
Melbourne, FL 32904

If you need more information, you can call the church office 321-723-8233, or you can email Steve Puckett personally at smpuckster@gmail.com. Their leadership team is already working to help those in their local area and other church communities around Florida before the storm hits and to be ready to serve after the storm has left its damage.

God bless you for any help you can give to any or all of these good works as they work to help those severely impacted by these natural disasters.

As Jesus reminds us, what we do for others, we are actually doing FOR HIM (Matthew 25:40).