Churches provide shelter, aid and comfort to those who fled storm.

USA (MNN) — The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is coordinating a massive relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf Coast region. Even before the Category 4 storm made landfall early Monday morning, Southern Baptists had sprung into action meeting immediate needs and preparing to respond in the aftermath.

SBC churches helped shelter the influx of those fleeing the storm, proving food, medical assistance and counseling, all in order to display the love of Christ to those in need. They’ll continue to provide shelter and food to people, many who will not be able to return to their homes for days or weeks.

In preparation on Monday, the SBC had moved mobile kitchen, shower units, cleanup and recovery units and communication equipment. More than two dozen disaster relief units were dispatched Tuesday and are now ministering to those displaced by the hurricane in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They’re serving 300,000 meals each day and will increase that to half a million by the end of the week.

The Southern Baptist Convention is the nation’s third largest disaster relief operation. If you’d like to make a donation to hurricane relief efforts, visit www.namb.net/dr.