Dan O’Deens, shown here conducting training in Shreveport, Louisiana, is the “point person” for a first-responders team to the Katrina tragedy from the FGBC. O’Deens is pastor of the Grace Brethren church in Parkesburg, PA. Kathleen Allison, communications director for GBNAM, has sent this report on the First Responders team:
This past weekend, our First Responders Team, a group of 13 men from around the country, arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana. Under the leadership of Dan O’Deens, they gathered for immediate basic training, and then were deployed into five shelters as management level staff.
Dave Guiles, who had arrived a day earlier with the Advance Team, writes, “I toured several of the facilities and was pleased to see the level of care provided. However, everyone obviously wants to leave as soon as possible. There are hundreds of other shelters, mostly in church buildings, where volunteers may be growing a little weary of the burden of care, so this may result in an influx of new clients for our shelters.
“John Boal, who leaves today, has been a great help in putting the regional headquarters on computer so as to facilitate the tracking of vehicles, personnel, etc. Jay [Bell] and I have decided to stay on a few more days.”
The First Responders Team includes Scott Sharick, Paul DeRenzo, Tom Caron and John Yeh from Grace College; Larry Totzke, Mike Mason and Steve Kern from Ohio; Ted Rondeau, Kurt Miller and Jim Robinson from Indiana; Clive Craigen from Chicago; Greg Barshaw from California, and Chuck Davis from Florida.
Thank you for praying for strength, wisdom and protection for this group of men as they serve the refugees in Shreveport!
