August 29, 2005, was an unforgettable day for most Mississippians, even for those of us who lived way up in the Northeastern corner of the state.
Just ask us, and we will tell you exactly where we were and what we were doing when Hurricane Katrina officially made its way into our state. (Most of us were glued to our televisions and radios, especially in the days following the storm.)
As we watched in real-time, it was hard for those of us not in the storm’s path to imagine the dynamics of a 30-foot storm surge. But as the images began to come in, people across the nation were in awe of the massive destruction that Katrina caused, literally wiping out everything along its path.
Twenty years later, final estimates still rank it the costliest hurricane on record (approximately $108 billion, according to the National Weather Service). Most horrifying of all, more than 1,800 people lost their lives due to Katrina.
On top of that, thousands and thousands of residents from the Mississippi Gulf Coast were displaced as well. Fleeing their homes before Katrina hit and making their way northward, many of them never returned to the coast after such catastrophic devastation. I was blessed to meet some of those evacuees back in 2005, and their gratefulness for the small help our church and community provided them in their emergency was both heartbreaking and inspiring. It forever impacted me!
But of all my Katrina memories, I am most amazed at one national ministry, Eight Days of Hope (EDOH), that began as the result of one father phoning his son to discuss what they might possibly do to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
Out of that simple phone call, the idea was formed to gather a few people (hopefully, six or so) and travel to the Gulf Coast to rebuild a home or two over a period of eight days. But after sharing their idea with family, friends, and communities far and near via American Family Radio, the outpouring of help and hope was unbelievable
The official EDOH Facebook page describes how Ministry Founder Steve Tybor was first challenged by his 70-year-old dad right after Hurricane Katrina:
Dad told him that we should grab a couple buddies and respond to Hurricane Katrina.
Steve’s reaction was that out of 5 sisters and 2 brothers, I’m the least handy of all of them. But next thing you know, the plan of 6 guys turned into 684 volunteers!
And driving home from Katrina, Steve felt God tell him that this movement shouldn’t stop here.
It didn’t!
In fact, since 1005, Tybor and the ministry team at EDOH have pulled together teams from across the nation to go into over 70 disaster-stricken places to minister practical help to those in need. On each trip, they accomplish this objective by providing food, water, and clothing, all while cleaning and helping to rebuild homes – and lives.
First hand, I have worked as part of those efforts in the aftermath of a storm. I have seen EDOH volunteers share fresh clothing and even bring in the EDOH mobile truck to launder people’s clothes. I also got to share food and water with survivors and just spend time talking and hugging those who had lost so much.
Plus, EDOH volunteers also clean yards and damaged houses, then repaint, reroof, or rebuild those homes totally free of charge. And many of the volunteer workers doing those home repairs are professional craftsmen who come from all over the nation and give their time and talents to help their fellow Americans.
In the process, EDOH and almost 60,000 volunteers have worked together over the past 20 years to help 11,175 families, serve over 50,000 meals, and provide over $92.6 million of work to help with rebuilding efforts.
It is so amazing to think that out of Hurricane Katrina, the ministry of Eight Days of Hope was born. And how appropriate, since the number 8 represents “new beginnings.”
So, no matter where the next tragedy strikes or what disaster is left in its wake, the EDOH community of Christian volunteers is dedicated to demonstrating something greater than any disaster – a new beginning of help and hope.
To find out more about EDOH, or to volunteer for the next ministry relief trip, go to: eightdaysofhope.com.
