Pastors unite, give support to churches on Gulf Coast
Saturday, October 1, 2005
The Daily Reflector
By Amanda Karr, The Daily Reflector

An area minister whose congregation was hard-hit by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 traveled to the Gulf Coast to lend his expertise to churches recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

The Rev. Sidney Locks Jr. of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church traveled to Louisiana shortly after Hurricane Katrina to advise churches on how they can help members get back on their feet.

He and a pastor from Winston-Salem, both members of Faith Partnerships, an interfaith group started after Hurricane Floyd, shared their experiences with helping victims during a five-day trip they took less than a week after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

"We recognized that in this kind of a disaster, the learning curve for congregations and for people who really don't have prior experience or knowledge on how to respond ends up being too long, and we wanted to share our experiences, and that's exactly what we began to do," Locks said. "... We helped do sensitivity and capacity-building to help them help families access the kind of services that will be brought in, like FEMA and the Red Cross, based on some of the things we learned on disasters here in North Carolina."

The two visited a half-dozen towns across Louisiana, finding many people had taken refuge in private homes and churches, Locks said.

"There were just a tremendous number of congregations of all kinds who had opened their doors and had families sleeping on floors, pews, mattresses and were meeting their needs," he said. It strained the resources of many churches.

"We saw small and large congregations who did not budget for this, but out of their coffers and out of some congregations, some community groups, were pulling together doing whatever it took to feed, clothe, get medical services to help families and individuals," he said.

Upon their return, the two pastors encouraged churches and community groups in North Carolina to adopt a shelter and send money and supplies to the volunteers and evacuees.

Cornerstone collected money and donated supplies from its Gifts in Kind distribution center, ultimately donating 23 pallets of new shoes, clothing, food, water and other supplies.

Locks and other local pastors and community leaders are currently discussing the possibility of adopting a community and working together to help that area get back on its feet.

Amanda Karr can be contacted at akarr@coxnc.com and 329-9574.