The Kentucky Colonels will partner with the Kentucky Baptist Convention to provide $50,000 to assist the relief effort in the hurricane devastated areas of the south. The Colonels will contribute $25,000. A matching amount will be raised by the Kentucky Baptist Convention. The funds will provide direct relief to victims through volunteers from Kentucky Baptist Relief Units. It is anticipated that a total of 500 volunteers from Kentucky will be deployed to provide food service and clear debris. Two “Kitchen” units from Kentucky, one from Henderson and another from Stanford, have already been deployed. It is also anticipated that the groups “Mudout” units will be needed. Mudout units are groups trained in cleaning and disinfecting buildings contaminated by flood waters.
The Kentucky Colonels is an organization made up of individuals who have received honorary Kentucky Colonel Commissions from the Governor of Kentucky. The Colonels annually distribute in excess of 1.5 million dollars in charitable and educational funding. The money is all voluntarily contributed by Kentucky Colonels. Kentucky Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief is part of a national organization that works closely with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army during disasters. The Baptist Men’s group (which includes men and women) provides the volunteers and portable kitchen facilities for most of the food served by the Red Cross and much of that served by the Salvation Army during disasters. The Kentucky food service teams expect to prepare and serve up to 500,000 meals per day. In addition to food service, the Kentucky volunteers’ “chain saw squads” will help with removal of the thousands of downed trees.
The funding will be used directly in the relief efforts provided by Kentuckians in the disaster zone. It will cover such things as repairing and replacing chain saws, fuel costs, maintenance of portable kitchen equipment, supplies, etc.
