‘Help, hope and healing’: Disaster relief team wraps up service in Sikeston

Volunteers with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief Team work Wednesday, June 19, to remove tree debris left by the May 26 EF3 tornado that swept through Sikeston. The team arrived the day of the tornado and have helped the community by completing more than 200 chain saw and specialized group jobs in that time.

Gina Curtis ~ Standard Democrat

SIKESTON — A Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief Team has been in Sikeston since an EF3 tornado struck May 26, and their crews have been working hard to serve the community.

Since day one, the team has been stationed at First Baptist Church in Sikeston and has gone around the community and completed more than 200 chain saw and specialized group jobs.

Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief is a joint volunteer effort of the Missouri Baptist Convention and its affiliated churches.

Eddie Barnhill, the team’s incident commander and a Charleston native, explained Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief’s purpose.

“We respond to various types of disasters,” Barnhill said. “This one just happened to be tornado, but whether it’s a tornado, flood, hurricane or wildfire, we respond to it. If anything is considered a disaster, we respond to it."

Barnhill continued: “Jobs we have done are chain sawing and temporary roofing. Early on, we did feed around 2,800 meals that we prepared for the Red Cross that they delivered in the community.”

Barnhill said local volunteers were in Sikeston the day the tornado hit to prepare meals.

“On Sunday (May 26) and Monday (May 27), they also concentrated on feeding the Department of Public Safety,” Barnhill said. “I believe some of them were working on 12-hour shifts so it was great to have some volunteers prepare meals for them, too, until DPS’s power came back on Tuesday (May 28).”

Barnhill said he became a volunteer after retirement and believes it is important to serve.

“Serving is important because it’s being the hands and feet of Jesus,” Barnhill said. “It’s helping our neighbor.”

Barnhill said that they intended to wrap up operations in Sikeston this past weekend.

“Our motto is that we are here to bring help, hope and healing,” Barnhill said. “When you bring help, that gives someone hope, and once they have hope, then they can start healing.”

According to Barnhill, the organization is completely volunteer.

Barnhill said the disaster relief volunteers will provide an excellent opportunity for hands-on service to people in need. Barnhill said training is open to any member of a Southern Baptist church who is at least 18 years of age.

Attending training does not obligate an individual to serve but is necessary before serving. Background checks are required for first-time volunteers.

Barnhill said their next training is Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, at Fellowship Baptist Church in Sikeston. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, visit https://modr.org/dr-training.