By Ashlyn Beck | News Editor
Though the July 4 floods are receding, recovery is still long off for Central Texas communities ravaged by the waters. With more than 119 lives lost and 173 people missing along the Guadalupe River corridor, the Baylor community is uniting to help those affected by flash floods.
Baylor volunteers and incoming freshmen at Line Camp met in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center Wednesday afternoon to put together relief kits for victims of the July 4 floods in Central Texas.
BearAid Disaster Relief and the Department of Missions, Service and Public Life hosted the event, having attendees pack 50 buckets with supplies, which will go to Kerrville with a group of BearAid volunteers next week.
Each kit is valued at about $75 and includes cleaning supplies and other necessities, according to Molly Simpson, assistant director for service and associate chaplain in the Office of Spiritual Life. As Central Texas communities continue to navigate the disaster, the Baylor community can help by giving their time and funds to relief efforts.
“[The kits] will be distributed to individual families who have a lot of mud and floodwater in their house,” Simpson said. “The stores immediately in the area will be out of supplies.”
MSPL follows the model “Pray, Stay, Raise and Go” when facing disasters, according to BearAid senior coordinator for service Sarah Walker. Directly following the disaster, BearAid stays in Waco, allowing first responders to do their jobs and praying for those affected. Now, BearAid and MSPL are in the raise phase.
“People here are really giving their time, their energy and their efforts to respond to the disasters,” Walker said. “This is a really great way of helping people in a small, tender way.”
In addition to local volunteers, incoming freshmen participating in Line Camp stepped up to aid in the efforts. Walker said they invited incoming freshmen to give them a taste of Baylor’s mission and passion for those in need.
“We want to show the incoming students that this is a core part of the Baylor community, and that you can be involved in so many ways,” Walker said. “We hope all the new students also continue to be involved when they arrive on campus in the fall.”
Though those most severely affected by the floods are hours away from Waco, there are many tied to the Baylor community that are facing the repercussions of the disaster, according to Assistant Dean for Spiritual Life and Missions Rebecca Kennedy. Whether they claim to be a Baylor Bear or not, though, Kennedy said the responsibility of the Office of Spiritual Life is to help those in need.
“Jesus talked very specifically about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, so that’s the underlying motivation for why we do what we do,” Kennedy said. “Our hearts are broken for people we know [who] are grieving.”
BearAid and MSPL will host another kit-packing event tomorrow, and two more next week, providing 200 relief kits to send to Kerrville. The Office of Spiritual Life will also host a prayer service at noon on July 17 in Elliston Chapel. Donations are encouraged, as well.
