‘Called by the Lord’: Local couple joins Baptist relief effort in Hurricane Wilma’s wake
By Scott Nicholson

With storms dominating headlines and relief efforts often drawing criticism, relief is sometimes as simple as offering a warm meal.

The North Carolina Baptist Men have just such a mission, and a local couple has been active recently in helping hurricane victims. Larry and Barbara Woodrow have been on four missions recently, traveling as part of the regional Baptist Men’s relief team. The couple works with the mobile kitchen as part of a sophisticated operation.

To Larry, who is a 25-year veteran of relief missions, the most important aspects of the work are the people and the organization of effort.

Larry is a “blue hat,” in charge of the mobile kitchen’s structure and operations. Like most relief workers, he pitches in on a number of jobs, and was with Barbara for six days in late October on a mission to Bell Glade, Fla., where Hurricane Wilma had roared through. Larry said the sheer size of the relief operation makes it exciting and satisfying.

“What impresses people is the level of organization and responsibility,” he said. His unit might distribute as many as 30,000 meals at a time, which makes smooth functioning and communication essential. In fact, one of Barbara’s duties is to oversee the lines of people seeking food, making sure the lines keep moving in the most efficient manner. She also tracks inventory to make sure the available food is ready at the right time.

“You can’t see the hands moving, it’s going so fast,” Barbara said. Victims sometimes show up and ask for multiple meals for family members, which helps keep the lines short but also means the food has to be served that much faster.

Because of extended relief stays in Meridian and Gulfport, Miss., the number of regional volunteers has dwindled a little. While the regional Baptist Men had 44 volunteers for Katrina missions, there were only 21 available to go to Florida. Larry said potential volunteers are called on short notice and asked if they can go, and he said he and Barbara go “when we’re able to.”

Because volunteers come from across the region, the Woodrows don’t know who will be on the mission with them until they board the bus. However, they often see people they have worked with on previous missions, and learning each others’ gifts and strengths is part of the fun.

“We feel called by the Lord to do it,” Woodrow said. “We have the pleasure of working with some very interesting people who are highly skilled. There’s a problem a minute to solve. There’s a lot of gratitude expressed. There’s satisfaction in doing a job well, no matter what it is.”

The Baptist Men work with the American Red Cross, which supplies the food and fuel. The Baptist Men provide the labor and equipment. Often the group sets up in the parking lot of a church, which sometimes provides volunteers and lodging. Sometimes “lodging” consists of a space on the floor.

The kitchen units take their own generators in case power is unavailable. The kitchens are placed in areas where they are needed most, and usually are set up for at least a few days. The units are accompanied by water tankers, which can supply emergency drinking water as well as water for showers.

The logistics of feeding thousands can be daunting, though the system has evolved thanks to good planning. First, a tent is set up at the mission site. The mobile kitchen contains six convection ovens, which means most food is baked. Insulated bins allow for food to be prepared more than a day ahead of time, which Larry calls a key to the entire operation.

Larry said a truckload of food costs between $60,000 and $85,000, so it takes a lot of hands to unload and organize. “The food is as good as you can buy anywhere in the world,” he said. “You’re not going to get fat, but you’ll be satisfied. You’ll feel like you’re well-fed.”

Even with tight planning, there’s always room for improvising, such as in Gulfport when a man asked if they could use 2,800 pounds of catfish. The team created their own Thousand Island dressing, added some spices, and came up with a way to bake the fish.

Barbara said working with other people is one of the joys of the work. She said non-Baptists also participate, and there is never any discussion over theological differences.. “We focus on a mission to provide a hot meal to people in need,” she said. “People go there with that understanding.”

It’s not just the cooking that requires elbow grease. The team must meet sanitation guidelines as strict as those of restaurants. Food-storage bins and equipment must be pressure-washed and sterilized. Larry said with two forklifts hauling pallets of food, hot ovens, and the strain of lifting large weights among crowds of people, the work can be dangerous, too.

While the level of work keeps volunteers busy, they can sometimes ride with trucks and tour the damaged areas, and occasionally get a free hour to call loved ones or do laundry. Sometimes there are unexpected benefits, too, even in the wake of disaster.

Barbara said because the power was out in Florida, the night sky was plainly visible. “It was absolutely magnificent,” she said. “Mars was so pretty, it was just a treat.”

The North Carolina Baptist Men have had a busy year. On Oct. 26, the group had over 400 volunteers in Gulfport and had served a total of 673,000 meals in three cities, and had also sent 25 tractor-trailer loads of bottled water and other supplies. They also fed people in the wake of hurricanes Rita and Ophelia. The Baptist Men have set a goal of rebuilding 500 homes in the Gulfport area over the next two years.

The group also has child care and construction units, and collects food boxes for disaster victims. To volunteer, call 1-800-395-5102 ext. 334 or visit www.ncmissions.org.

•Scott Nicholson can be contacted at nicholson@wataugademocrat.com