COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES/Thomas B. Shea/Agence France-Presse – Getty Images
People waded through floodwaters in Houston on Sunday.
With the eyes of the nation on Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Diocese of Central Florida announced Tuesday that there are people and businesses everywhere in the Lone Star State that need our help.
Flooding has been the biggest concern. Flood waters rise without respect to persons or property. They ruin everything, sweep away what we’ve labored to build, and deposit muck and filth everywhere. Their greatest dangers often lie in what we cannot see below the surface: currents, jagged hazards, chemicals, germs, and dangerous animals.
But it’s important to remember that Jesus loves without respect to persons or property. He cares for the lost and the broken, redeems the suffering, and builds from the rubble. His greatest gifts often lie below the surface, where His love heals, refreshes, and restores the mind and the soul.
There are many ways to exercise God’s love for those in crisis, including the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is able to work nimbly with and through our Episcopal churches and their local knowledge to effectively direct aid where it is most needed and best administered. Please pray for the victims and respond to their need as God directs you.
There are several ways to give:
Give directly to the Diocese of West Texas (which includes Rockport and Victoria):
http://www.dwtx.org/departments/committees/disaster-response/
Give directly to the Diocese of Texas (which includes Galveston and Houston):
http://www.epicenter.org/harvey/
Give directly to Episcopal Relief and Development:
http://www.episcopalrelief.org/hurricane-harvey-response
The Diocese of Central Florida also will be happy to gather contributions and forward them to the affected areas. Please put “Harvey Relief” in the memo section of any checks or donate to “Harvey Relief” at our secure donations page.
https://secure.accessacs.com/access/oglogin.aspx?sn=91632
We thank you for your concern and prayers.