Community Partners
Natives to the Texas Panhandle have a saying, "If you don't like the weather now, just wait fifteen minutes". Having lived here for fifty years, I think that is a bit of an exaggeration but, its close, and November 29th was one of those days that would support the idea. Forecasters were predicting one to three inches of snow by morning, but the storm took an unexpected shift to the south and over eight inches of wind driven snow was on the ground the next morning shutting down travel and schools in the area.
By late morning on the 30th, I received a call from the local Red Cross asking if they could use the church building as a shelter for over 100 bus travelers who were stranded because of the storm. Volunteers from the Red Cross began showing up at 1:00 pm with trailers of food, bedding, signs, and supplies along with a lady who had the word "Sheriff" on her hat. After 15 minutes of watching her direct the volunteers, I knew that the best thing I could do is get out of the way, and in 1 hours time a portion of the church building was converted to a shelter ready to receive weary travelers. Later that night, one man told my wife and I that he had been on the bus 4 days now trying to get to his destination. He was quite grateful that he was not sleeping in the bus station that night. As we were leaving, one man, who was responding to a media report that blankets were needed, brought a box of blankets for those who were stranded.
As media reports came in that evening and the next morning about the temporary shelter, I was quite proud of the way the Red Cross responded and how the body of Christ (the church), could help make some peoples lives a little more pleasant for one evening.
The next morning, I went back to the church building by 8:00, and the only signs of the shelter being there were some tracked up floors and a left over Red Cross sign on the door. The media was reporting that the travelers were back on the bus and once again heading to their destination.
By late morning on the 30th, I received a call from the local Red Cross asking if they could use the church building as a shelter for over 100 bus travelers who were stranded because of the storm. Volunteers from the Red Cross began showing up at 1:00 pm with trailers of food, bedding, signs, and supplies along with a lady who had the word "Sheriff" on her hat. After 15 minutes of watching her direct the volunteers, I knew that the best thing I could do is get out of the way, and in 1 hours time a portion of the church building was converted to a shelter ready to receive weary travelers. Later that night, one man told my wife and I that he had been on the bus 4 days now trying to get to his destination. He was quite grateful that he was not sleeping in the bus station that night. As we were leaving, one man, who was responding to a media report that blankets were needed, brought a box of blankets for those who were stranded.
As media reports came in that evening and the next morning about the temporary shelter, I was quite proud of the way the Red Cross responded and how the body of Christ (the church), could help make some peoples lives a little more pleasant for one evening.
The next morning, I went back to the church building by 8:00, and the only signs of the shelter being there were some tracked up floors and a left over Red Cross sign on the door. The media was reporting that the travelers were back on the bus and once again heading to their destination.
posted by Mark Love at
10:20 AM
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