Cookin' Up (After) a Storm
Texas Baptist Men Offer Disaster Relief to the Texas Medical Center

When the Texas Medical Center area was inundated by floodwaters caused by the recent Tropical Storm Allison, volunteers immediately came to the rescue and flooded the area with support.

On Monday, June 11, the Texas Baptist Men, a volunteer network that is part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, ordered its trained volunteers to set up the Texas Baptist Disaster Relief Mobile Unit, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer equipped with a self-sustained field kitchen. The unit rolled into town and set up camp in the South Main parking lot, next to the Edwin Hornberger Conference Center.

Ernie Liebig of Bullard, Texas served as strike team coordinator. Strike teams are groups of on-call volunteers who set up mobile units, and rotating volunteer teams of at least 20 people staff the units as long as needed. Liebig loves these volunteer assignments and he and his team put their hearts into their work.

"We love the Lord, and we love to help people," Liebig said. "Our volunteers have a wonderful spirit."

The Baptist General Convention of Texas works in conjunction with National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters, which also includes groups such as the American Red Cross. In this particular setting, the Red Cross delivered food to the Texas Baptist Men, whose job was to cook the food. The Red Cross then delivered the cooked food to different hospitals within the Texas Medical Center area, and other locations throughout the city. Once the fare arrived at its intended location, staff and volunteers served it to grateful recipients.

Meals were prepared for patients at some hospitals, and nearly all The Methodist Hospital and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital staffs, as well as the security officers and the administration at the Office of the Medical Examiner of Harris County. The Texas Baptist Men also cooked for the staff at Memorial Hermann Hospital, which had suspended operations due to the flooding.

During the unit's first week in the Texas Medical Center, an average of 10,000 to 11,000 meals per day were served, but the unit could accommodate 25,000 to 35,000 meals per day, if needed.

"The Red Cross determines the need, and we fill it," said Jack Meyer, a volunteer with the Texas Baptist Men.

The Texas Baptist Men maintain a list of approximately 600 volunteers who can be called at a moment's notice to staff volunteer teams when disasters strike. Volunteers pay their way, and often, more than one crew is sent to a disaster site. The flooding in Houston was extensive enough, that in addition to the cooking crew, building, chainsaw and "mud-out" crews were dispatched throughout the city.

Liebig said that in addition to their own volunteers, community volunteers pitched in to do such tasks as washing dishes for the cooking crew.

"Some of these volunteers were flood survivors themselves, and they gave their time anyway," Liebig said.

Age is not a factor when it comes to volunteering for Texas Baptist Disaster Relief crews. Despite their years, Liebig, 81, and another volunteer, Earl Lisenbee, 82, remain young at heart.

"There are 163 years between the two of us, but we keep on goin'," Lisenbee said.

The Texas Baptist Men volunteers were touched by the positive reception they received for their efforts. In fact, one hospital administrator brought the men baked goods of all sorts as a "thank you" for the group's hard work.

"We know there is much appreciation for our mission," said Meyer. "It was a precious act, and very much appreciated."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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