Oklahoma Volunteers Attend Disaster Relief Training In Tulsa

Newson6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- If disaster strikes anywhere in the U.S., Oklahomans are ready to help. The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma held its biannual disaster relief training this weekend.

The volunteers say it's important to have willing hands and open hearts to help people when their world has crumbled around them.

"We've been to ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, fire in California. Mud out in Iowa," said Jack Davenport, BGCO Disaster Relief Volunteer.

When disaster strikes, Oklahomans try to not let mother nature's worst get the best of the human spirit.

"I tell people all the time when they ask me ‘why do you get involved?' Because you can sit on the sidelines or you can go do it. And it's time to go do something," said Keven Davenport, BGCO Disaster Relief Volunteer.

That 'do something' is exactly what father and son Jack and Keven Davenport signed up for.

"Since he was a lot younger than I am I thought we'd put him to work and use his muscle instead of mine," Jack said.

The Davenport's are part of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma disaster relief training. The group teaches volunteers to help people in times of crisis. This particular session focused on feeding.

The ministry says preparing and serving hot meals is the backbone of the mission.

"It depends on the disaster but you take the ice storm in 2007. We prepared 39,000 meals in 7 days when there were 250,000 homes without electricity," said Louis Brankel with the Blue Cap First Baptist Church Broken Arrow Feeding Group

After completing feeding team training, volunteers may train in other areas of Disaster Relief service. This session also focused on chain saw teams who learn to properly remove dangerous debris from homes and yards.

When tragedy renders some helpless, more Oklahomans are armed with the know-how to help and to offer hope.