Walnut Church Becomes Ground Zero for Disaster Relief

dennis.turner@wreg.com
(Walnut, MS 5/4/2010)

Dozens of volunteers descend on North Mississippi after tornado

Tornado relief is well underway after last weekend's storms.

At least two disaster centers are set up in Mississippi already.

Harmony Baptist Church in Walnut has become ground zero for tornado relief in North Mississippi.

It's the same church that opened its doors for townspeople with water and food after this winter's water main break left residents dry.

Volunteers from all over have come to Walnut to help folks who've lost anything from a little to a lot.

They've turned the parking lot and fellowship building of Harmony Baptist Church into a giant one stop shop for tornado relief.

"We've been able to go out in the community right now and work with getting trees cut out of yards. We have three teams from the Mississippi Baptist Convention and their disaster relief," said Harmony pastor Rev. Brian Tatum.

Victims here range from those who lost everything to those who just lost power.

At Harmony Church they can get a hot meal, a friendly smile, and even recruit a little muscle to help clean up storm damage.

In its first day of operation the relief center fed hundreds of people though the Salvation Army.

Now that Baptist disaster teams and the Red Cross have arrived, the Salvation Army has moved on to other damaged areas.

Dozens of volunteers are working almost around the clock to make sure people here feel cared for, and cared about.

"We want to be able to help in any way and share Christ with anybody that we come in contact with," said Rev. Tatum.

There's one other disaster center in Ashland at Intersection of Hwy 370 and Old Hwy 370 in Ashland, Benton County.


"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 NIV