This is going to be a big deal, and it already is. The death toll is expected to rise sharply. This story (and its pictures) are heartbreaking.
You can rush off to the Philippines and it might make you feel better, but it’s probably not the best thing. Your denomination, network or agencies will already have staff and plans, and trusted churches are also already taking action. Shipping blankets might make you feel better, but sending money through reputable sources makes more sense.
Pastor, grabbing some relief supplies and a camera is not what the Philippines need right now.
Here are three ways you can get involved and organizations to help you do so …
1. In most cases, monetary donations are more helpful than volunteers or supplies.
Yes, we live in a world where some want to DO more than they want to HELP, but at the end of the day, that is more selfish than helpful. Ministering to disaster victims should be about meeting their needs, not fulfilling our need to feel helpful. It’s perhaps not as personally fulfilling as delivering a warm meal in a storm shelter, but it is an effective way to help.
Furthermore, don’t send supplies. The cost to ship them is far too high and you don’t know the needs on the ground. Send money. Local leaders can buy the supplies.
2. The best way to support is through established, reputable relief agencies.
One of the larger evangelical churches in the Philippines is Victory. (I’ve talked to their pastor on The Exchange, and this was the church where I was supposed to preach before my daughter got sick.) It’s an evangelical charistmatic church, well-respected in the Philippines, and you can trust and should feel comfortable supporting their relief efforts. They have a page on their website devoted to how you can help with the relief effort from your home. (Note that the typhoon is called Yolanda in the Philippines.)
Also, remember that denominations are already on the ground. Even if you are not in a denomination, you can engage in disaster relief through their systems, which is much more effcient and beneficial to the victims than you setting up your own pipeline.
For example, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has begun its relief efforts. (Southern Baptists have the third largest disaster relief system, behind the Red Cross and Salvation Army.) The IMB has people on the ground in the Philippines, and here is a bit of what they’re up to:
On Sunday, IMB representative Mark Moses met with key national leaders on the island of Panay and discussed relief plans. Food and clean water are urgent needs in many remote areas on the island of Panay.
Moses purchased bags of rice and canned goods using BGR funds. Moses and his team plan to pack the goods into family-sized portions. On Monday, he will travel north into the interior of the island of Panay into areas where he has church partnerships. He will distribute the food in these areas and do an assessment of further needs … Moses said the province of Antique is a priority area for aid relief. The center of the typhoon passed through this area and the only road leading to this area is most likely washed out. Moses said it will take him several days to get in to this area … .
Donations to help with the disaster response can be made here: https://netcommunity.imb.org/SuperTyphoonHaiyan
Updates on Baptist Global Response relief efforts can be monitored on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gobgr, Facebook: http://on.fb.me/hKaE6J and on https://gobgr.org/news
