North American Division Asks Members to Give Next Sabbath to Help Victims of Hurricane Harvey

Story by North American Division Communication Staff

On Sept. 9, 2017, churches across the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will collect a special offering to support the relief efforts of Adventist Community Services (ACS) after millions in Texas and Louisiana were impacted by the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Harvey. ​A flyer has been prepared to announce this special offering — links to downloadable files are below.

Hurricane-force winds and rain and resulting floods displaced thousands of people from their homes and damaged or destroyed countless buildings when the record-setting storm made landfall on Aug. 26. ACS, along with its partner, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), is responding to the needs of those affected by this once-in-a-lifetime storm. ACS is providing clothing, personal care kits, cleaning supplies, and emotional and spiritual care as an immediate response. ADRA is providing funding to ACS as they work directly with local partners responding to the needs in their communities. Through this combined effort, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is serving as the hands and feet of Jesus to the communities of southwestern Texas and Louisiana.

In an update on Aug. 29, the NAD ACS team stated that they are "so grateful to those who are willing to help out; however, volunteers are not needed at this time due to the limited access to affected areas and inadequate safety precautions. Once the rains have subsided, we will have more information on how to provide assistance in the recovery phase."  
The NAD asks for church members to pray for the people of Texas and Louisiana and give to this special offering.