UPDATED TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 11:34 AM EST

HURRICANE LAURA

Matthew 25: Ministries responded to Hurricane Laura, which made landfall early morning on August 27 along the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, causing heavy storm surge as far inland as 30 miles in parts of Texas and Louisiana. Although Laura weakened significantly to a Category 1 hurricane after making landfall, flash flooding and high winds continued to cause destruction as it traveled north and east. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power in Louisiana and Texas, causing widespread lack of access to running water.

In partnership with Procter & Gamble, Matthew 25: Ministries deployed their Disaster Response Team with a selection of their Disaster Response Fleet, which includes two Tide Loads of Hope Mobile Units, as well as customized panel and pickup trucks loaded with supplies such as P&G personal care kits, household, and cleaning products, Cintas first aid and safety kits and supplies, and additional items such as Pampers diapers, Charmin toilet paper, Tide Pods, generators, fans, and tarps.

Matthew 25’s Disaster Response Team distributed supplies throughout the disaster region, as well as provided laundry services with the Tide Loads of Hope Mobile Laundry Units. The team distributed approximately 600 personal care kits, 1,000 rolls of paper products, 500 bottles of cleaning supplies, 200 detergent pods, 50 cases of diapers, 600 first aid and safety kits, 2,000 packs of batteries and other clean-up and recovery supplies such as shovels and tarps throughout Lake Charles, Sulphur, Merryville, DeRidder, and DeQuincy, Louisiana. They also provided laundry services through the Tide Loads of Hope Program, completing more than 1,000 loads of laundry.

In addition to these on-site services, we are working with partners to ship truckloads of aid in order to help as many people as possible. So far, we have shipped over 350,000 pounds of aid to partners in Texas and Louisiana for distribution throughout the widespread disaster region. We will continue shipping aid to partners as long as our help is needed.

As more information has been released about COVID-19 and as guidelines have become more updated and specific regarding safe operations, Matthew 25: Ministries has been able to establish new safety protocols and processes that help keep both our team and beneficiaries at distribution and Tide Loads of Hope activation sites protected while still allowing us to provide supplies and free laundry services to households whose lives have been impacted by major disasters.

Safety precautions for the deployment included dual deployment of Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundromat units to allow for social distancing on-site, increased use of PPE, increased sanitation practices, signage instructions, and non-contact registration. In addition, the team adhered to all local health agency COVID-19 guidelines.

Donors who would like to designate their financial gifts for Hurricane Laura Relief may do so by writing “Hurricane Laura Relief” in the memo line of their check or by typing it in the “special purpose” field of our online giving form. Please mail checks to Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242. 100% of donated funds designated for Hurricane Laura Relief will be used for the purpose intended.

TROPICAL STORM MARCO

Tropical Storm Marco made landfall around 7 PM on Monday, August 24 with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Marco weakened to a Tropical Depression as it tracked near the northern Gulf Coast. Marco brought heavy rainfall and gusty winds to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.