Liberty University to Be Hands of Jesus for Louisiana Flood Victims
Liberty University’s disaster relief program, LU Send Now, is partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to send a team of 10 students and three staff members to Baton Rouge, La., to aid in flood relief efforts. The team will deploy this Saturday and return to campus Saturday, Aug. 27.
President Obama recently declared a federal emergency in Louisiana as many of the southeastern sections of the state are under water because of tremendous flooding. According to the Red Cross, it was the worst natural disaster to strike the U.S. since Superstorm Sandy. Tens of thousands of homes have been damaged, and 8,400 people are in emergency shelters. While more than 10 people have died, over 30,000 have been rescued.
In June, LU Send Now dispatched eight students and three staff members to Greenbrier County, W.Va., to assist with flood relief efforts. Liberty’s team worked in the surrounding communities to help with recovery efforts, including cleaning homes.
LU Send Now teams participated in flood relief efforts in Columbia, S.C., in the wake of Hurricane Joaquin and during the aftermath of tornadoes in Mississippi last fall. In the Spring 2016 semester, LU Send Now deployed its first local outreach team to Appomattox, Va. (about 30 minutes from campus) to areas that were hit by a tornado, sent its first international team to Greece to aid in the Syrian refugee crisis, and traveled to Flint, Mich., to assist with the water crisis. Additionally, a team went to Orange County, Texas, to help residents whose homes were destroyed in floods.
