Bruce Drummond
Professor Pamela Rollins
English 1113-1934
11/20/2024
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief
Many people assume that there are not good people in this world anymore; my research has shown that to be false. I have gotten the privilege to observe the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief. When I first met the director of the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, he was a very nice guy. He was not dressed fancy, but was wearing blue jeans, a polo shirt and hiking boots. His background and qualifications are that he was a volunteer with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief before and a pastor for 25 plus years and now he has been the director for three years.
The director for Oklahoma Baptist disaster relief was a joy to be around, and I can see why obtaining donations has not been a problem for him. I could clearly observe that he is a genuine individual that loves the Lord. As I got the opportunity to observe the director in his environment, I could tell it was not work for him. In the midst of chaos around him, he was laughing with volunteers, and he had a smile on his face. He was constantly asking if there was anything anyone needed, passing out water bottles, and offering a listening ear for those who were grieving. Truly, this guy was doing what he was called to do.
During my time interviewing the director of Oklahoma Baptist disaster relief, I had the chance to speak with him about his budget and what it takes to run an organization with 2,500 volunteers. I was expecting a $4.5 million budget, but instead his answer was around $400,000. This was definitely not the answer I was expecting, so I asked him to elaborate on it. Regarding the $400,000 budget, he said, “We have great relationships with churches all around the state of Oklahoma and when we are out on a disaster we partner with these churches. A lot of our volunteers stay on the church properties. They will sleep on cots or whatever is available that the church has to offer. These relationships with the churches are vital to our mission. Most of our budget goes to insurance, food, and fuel.”
A lot of the food that they serve is donated or is provided through a food bank. They try to buy food on location, so they don't have to store it and worry about it going bad. He asked, “Have you ever seen that commercial where Salvation Army served over a million meals at a disaster where they were serving?” I then replied that I had, and he stated, “That they have served those meals, but Oklahoma Disaster Relief made those meals.” An organization like Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is not an organization that works alone or expects recognition, but instead they have fostered great relationships with all kinds of churches, nonprofit organizations, and other ministries all over the country. Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is just a part of a big picture, and I believe that in this case, the bigger picture is about being there when others need help.
When talking to the director about the budget he didn't seem worried at all that $400,000 was a low number for an organization like this. He simply shrugged and said, “God's got this.” By learning more about their budget, I have come to conclude it's like a cycle or a pay it forward system. You start out by helping those in an emergency, and while you're there, you raise money. You continue to those in the emergency, then you move to the next emergency. The previous disaster pays for the next disaster.
One of my objectives in doing this research was to find out what motivates these volunteers to drop everything and go help. I asked a few of them including the director and they all pretty much had the same answer, which was, “We just want to be the hands and feet of Christ.” One volunteer stated, “I had so many hugs from people, and I had no idea who they were,” Another volunteer stated, “When you see folks in their weakest moments, when everything's been taken away or they are devastated by their loss I just want to be there to show them that everything will be OK.” Volunteers like these are great individuals that are not out there for paychecks, but they are simply out there to help their fellow mankind when they are in need.
To be a volunteer at Oklahoma Baptist disaster relief it is simple: you must be a member of a Southern Baptist church and 18 years of age or older. Volunteers must go to an orientation, and it can be online or in person. Then you would need to pass a background check which needs to be updated every three years. For new volunteers there is a cost of $30, which is to help pay for the background check. If you would like to run equipment such as chainsaws, skid steers, and power tools, this involves extended training to become certified to operate these types of equipment.
Looking around at most of the volunteers, they look to be 55 to 75. This is considered to be the prime age for retirement, but they still feel active enough to help and need something to do and need a purpose. One volunteer stated, “By sitting at the house I'll probably die at the house, and I have so much more to offer.” Volunteers like this are what make up this amazing organization; it's almost like your grandparents are helping you through a devastating time.
When interviewing the director, I asked, “What is the criteria of an in-state disaster where volunteers would be deployed?” The director stated that with volunteers being all over the state of Oklahoma when a disaster strikes, and he could not be there first to evaluate, he sends a trusted member that lives close by to give him an update. Oklahoma Baptist disaster relief has equipment housed strategically across Oklahoma; their goal is when a disaster hits to be there within two hours, evaluating the scene. The director then assesses the extent of the damage and the nature of the disaster to determine the number of volunteers required and the type of equipment needed for that specific emergency. After decisions are made about who is going and what equipment is needed, it is travel time. For example, after the tornado in Choctaw, OK, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief deployed the meal team, mobile shower and laundry unit. Their primary job after the Choctaw tornado was to help clean up debris, patching roofs, serving meals, and helping however they can.
The volunteers I had the privilege of meeting were incredible. They truly reminded me of grandparents, and they honestly were probably someone's grandparents. They always had a smile on their face, asking how they could help and pointing others in the direction of who to talk to and were always assisting and giving jobs to those around them.
The volunteers of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief did not seem very pushy about their faith although they are a Southern Baptist organization. They explained that their primary goal was to help in someone’s time of need, and if someone asked why they were doing what they were doing they would say, “We want to be the hands and feet of Christ” meaning, these volunteers want to show love and service through their actions, these volunteers are actively helping others demonstrating compassion and kindness in a practical way and they are striving to make a positive impact wherever they may be, by living out their faith through service.
I asked a few volunteers how do they intersect their faith in their work? One volunteer stated that he wanted his work and his attitude to speak for itself. He said, “As a member of a Baptist Church and a Christian I believe this is the best way to present the gospel. I’m simply just loving others just like the example Christ has set for us and not expecting anything in return.” I think that the volunteers of the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief organization give an amazing example of what it looks like to “be the hands and feet of Christ.”
The culture of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief was incredible, I began to think there may be something to this working without a paycheck. It also made me wonder why people don't volunteer more. Maybe they think that it is a thing of the past, but I'm here to say everyone needs a helping hand at times. Based on the happiness level of the volunteers alone, I could see how it could be worth it.
Yarbrough, Jason. Personal Interview. 11 Nov. 2024
McCaa, Seth. Personal Interview. 12 Nov. 2024
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, 2024, www.okdisasterhelp.org/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.