Mount Olive church sending team, materials to hard-hit areas
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on September 21, 2005 1:54 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- First Baptist Church of Mount Olive has collected emergency items for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and a group headed out early today to deliver the load to Mississippi.
Pastor Dennis Atwood and his wife, Ann, are from the area of Mississippi that sustained heavy damage. His wife lives about 30 miles from the Hattiesburg community where the team is headed.
"That's home for us, so we feel like we need to go," Atwood said.
The community is about 90 miles from the coast.
"They went two weeks without power," Atwood said. "Trees were downed, and there was structural damage to houses."
The team expects to arrive at the University Baptist Church in Hattiesburg late today. The University Baptist Church is serving as a base for supplies and relief teams coming into the area. The effort is being coordinated by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
"If needed, we'll send some to help with the clean-up, especially with tree-removal," said Atwood.
The Mount Olive group will help in the distribution of materials Friday and Saturday. They plan to return home Sunday.
Wilco Transport donated the tractor trailer for the trip.
About 10 people from the church went with the group.