Two Disaster Response Trip Opportunities
The Anglican Relief and Development Fund has announced two opportunities to serve communities damaged by hurricanes. Read more below. If you are interested in supporting this mission or participating, please contact Tommy Lamb via email. Or you can complete the volunteer form found here.
Hurricane Ian Response, Southwest Florida, Nov. 4 – 10, 2023
Background: Information about Hurricane Ian may be found here. Information about Ft. Myers, FL, may be found here. Information about the Harlem Heights neighborhood we are serving may be found here and here.
Our mission, in response to storm surge damage created by Hurricane Ian, is to continue to rebuild homes in the community of Harlem Heights, a low income and underserved neighborhood in Ft. Myers. After volunteering with Eight Days of Hope in November 2022, ARDF partnered with AIM in June 2023 to continue our service in Ft. Myers by installing, taping and floating drywall, and replacing windows in five homes. The team was blessed to worship locally with residents and host several for dinner one evening, and time was spent every day in prayer, devotion, teaching, and worship. It is a time of serving and loving our neighbors, of introspection, and of application of AIM’s six cultural values:
1. Serve at a pace of peace!
2. Relationships are greater than tasks.
3. Learn by sharing our mistakes with others.
4. We do uncomfortable.
5. A need is not a calling.
6. God’s Got It!
Our partner, Adventures in Missions, was founded by Seth Barnes, Sr., the brother-in-law of Truro Anglican Church, Fairfax, VA parishioner David Corn. It was through this connection that ARDF identified the opportunity for ministry after Hurricane Ian.
Hurricane Ida Response, Grand Isle, LA, Nov. 5 – 11, 2023
Background: Information about Hurricane Ida may be found here. Information about Grand Isle, LA, may be found here.
Summary: Our mission, in response to damage created by Hurricane Ida, is to complete the rebuilding of our host’s church, Community Church of Grand Isle, formerly the First Baptist Church. Teams that have served before us rebuilt the church’s pier and beam foundation, rebuilt the “Gulf” side of the church, and remodeled the kitchen, to name a few projects. Our goal is to complete the job by remodeling the “Bay” side of the church and complete the interior remodeling including the Pastor’s office and public spaces.
Our November trip will be ARDF’s third mission with Cajun Commissary, all on Grand Isle. Cajun Commissary was one of ARDF’s first partners, having served together in Lake Charles, LA, through Trinity Anglican Church, Lafayette, LA, in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, August 2020. Host Tiffany Theriot promises our week to be both productive and restful, as we enjoy this beautiful Louisiana Gulf coast barrier island, it’s bountiful seafood and warm-hearted and friendly residents!
