Aid Response Continues to Grow

Following the tornadic outbreak in the southeastern United States, Adventist Community Services/Disaster Response (ACS/DR) is continuing to grow the number of warehouses and resources available to victims who need showers, housing, and supplies.

Several additional warehouses have been recently set up:

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama:

County Donation Center
(Old Phifer Warehouse Building)
2505 Greensboro Avenue
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Hours: 7am-6pm daily
Contact: Barbara Barnes

Distribution Center
Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church
2614 Herman Avenue
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Hours:
Sunday-Thursday: 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-2pm
Saturday: On Demand

On-Site Manager: Nettie Melton
Phone:
205-454-7851
205-768-2386

In Pell City, Alabama:

Donation Center
4205 Cartswell Avenue
Pell City, AL
On-Site Manager: Donny Robertson
Phone: 256-339-3246
Hours: 8am-5pm daily
Distribution is being done by the National Guard

In Cullman, AL, ACS/DR is managing a warehouse for Cullman County Emergency Management. The warehouse is receiving palletized bulk items from other collection locations. The Sherriff and Fire Department are doing mobile distribution.

In addition, in Concord, AL ACS/DR volunteers from the Gulf States Conference were operating a food kitchen in cooperation with the local community, where it was feeding approximately 1000 people for 5 days. They are now working with the Alabama’s Governor’s office and other officials to determine the next location to help.

In addition to these collection, warehouse, and collection centers, ACS/DR has also opened several other distribution and collection centers in Alabama and Tennessee.

The centers are:

In Huntsville, Alabama:

Distribution and Collection Center
(Across from the County Commissioner, District 6)
3223 Hi-Lo Circle Huntsville, AL 35811
Hours: 8am-6pm (daily)
Contact: Vernon Giles
Phone: 256-755-1240

In Birmingham, Alabama:

Collection Center
(old Mazers Complex)
3816 First Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35225
Hours: 8am-6pm (daily)
Contact: Wayne Blanding
Phone: 205-903-5550
Note: No used clothing is needed at this facility
ACS/DR officials are working with county officials in establishing distribution centers

In the Collegedale/Apison, Tennessee area:

The Samaritan Center, well known for its community services and thrift store, is working in conjunction with ACS/DR in collection and distribution efforts. The Samaritan Center is located a
9231 Lee Highway # C
Ooltewah, TN 37363
Phone: 423-238-7777

In Cleveland, Tennessee:

Collection Center
3700 Keith Street
Cleveland, TN 37312
ACS/DR officials are working with county officials in establishing distribution centers

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, ACS/DR is providing warehouse management for FEMA, initially, for 24 hours a day. It is expected that ACS/DR will be managing this warehouse for FEMA for 1 year.

A critical role of distribution centers is to provide victims with the necessities that allow them to start re-establishing their lives. ACS/DR needs personal care kits and activity kits to help meet this need. Information on how to prepare these kits is available at www.communityservices.org.

Despite the widespread devastation, Seventh-day Adventist’s have been providing aid since the beginning and are continuing to serve their communities:

  • ACS/DR officials in Georgia are providing technical support and assistance to multiple warehouse and distribution facilities
  • A shower trailer from the Georgia-Cumberland Conference ACS/DR has been setup in the Apison, TN area, providing warm showers to victims and volunteers
  • The Samaritan Center in Ooltewah, TN has partnered with ACS/DR in Ooltewah, TN in distributing cardboard boxes, gloves, trash bags, and flashlights
  • McDonald Road Pathfinders started feeding emergency workers Thursday morning, only hours after the storm swept through the Apison, TN area, and continued for 8 hours daily through Monday, May 3, when the Incident Command Center was re-located. This food service grew to include families affected by the storms who could not prepare their own meals, serving hundreds of meals for breakfast, lunch, and supper
  • Members of the McDonald Road Seventh-day Adventist Church are operating the distribution center at the Apison, TN command center, as well as preparing and providing mobile distribution of meals to victims in the area
  • Volunteers from Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church made about 100 sack lunches on Saturday, April 30. They worked with the Salvation Army in Bradley County for distribution
  • Apison Seventh-day Adventist Church members are providing food to residents of the Apison, TN area
  • Southern Adventist University is preparing to house victims and volunteers who need short-term housing
  • A group from Johnson City, TN came with chainsaws to the Collegedale, TN area and have been helping Adventist and community members
  • The First Church of Huntsville Alabama fed members of their church and community on Saturday, April 30
  • Atlanta Adventist Academy sent a group of students to the Apison area to help with clean-up this weekend

“Our prayers and condolences are with all those in the Southern Union who have been affected by these storms,” says Pastor Gordon Retzer, president of the Southern Union Conference territory. “In this time of turmoil, we can be comforted by God’s grace and mercies.”

Church officials in the affected areas are continuing to work with local and state emergency officials to continue assessing the situation in their local communities. The improving power, road, and telephone conditions are aiding officials in relief work.

As emergency management agency (EMA) officials approve additional collection, distribution, and warehouse locations, ACS/DR officials are working with federal and local EMA officials to provide skilled management of these locations.

Adventist Community Services is accepting monetary donations to assist with the response efforts. You can donate through their secure website, www.communityservices.org.

To learn more about how Seventh-day Adventist members have been affected by the storms, click here.

Updated press releases will be issued as information is available.