On September 3, 2020, several i3 Houston staff members drove to Lake Charles, Louisiana to help with Hurricane Laura clean-up. The team connected with Steve James, Senior Pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, and staff members Chad Gilbert and Greg Bath who directed us to community members in need.

 

Our staff divided into two teams. Both teams were sent to homes that needed assistance clearing fallen trees and tarping exposed holes in roofs. We thankfully connect with another church member, Dilon Berlin, who had a skid steer and track hoe for tree clearing.

 

The church had not received any updates on a 98-year-old church member named Sweetie. One team was directed to her home which, upon assessment, fared well in the storm and only required removing boards from her windows and clearing a tree blocking her driveway. Once this was complete, the team moved on to a neighboring home that had a large tree on its roof. The team checked the roof structure for safety and then began breaking down the tree and tarping roof holes. The second team cleared a huge oak in the backyard of a church member at a separate location.

 

At the time of the visit, it was estimated that the community would still be without power for another three weeks or more. The greatest needs were water and non-perishable foods, debris clearing, and tarping. Our Lake Charles neighbors have a long way to go with clean-up and rebuilding. To assist, please consider donating to Trinity Baptist Church or any other local organization providing hurricane relief efforts.