Texas Baptist Men asking for volunteers to help clean up Orange

Published 12:13 am Friday, September 4, 2020

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Texas Baptist Men are once again in Southeast Texas.

The volunteer organization is assisting in post-hurricane cleanup and providing hot meals to disaster prone areas.

First Baptist Church in Nederland is partnering with TBM and North Baptist Church in Orange to bring volunteers to the area for tree cutting, debris removal and home repair.

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First Baptist Pastor Jason Burden said people have come from all over the state to bring aid.

Texas Baptist Men headed out to Orange Thursday for disaster relief. (Courtesy photo)

“There are so many people with trees down or trees on their homes,” he said. “So we are cutting trees, moving things to the road and doing what people would charge thousands to do, for free.”

Burden said the organization has already received 350 work orders.

“There are people from Collin County way up north of us, people from Canyon Lake and all over Texas doing chainsaw work, home repair, church repair, patching up roofs,” he said. “In our area, in Nederland, we were blessed to be spared from the brunt of the storm, but we have been served so well in past disasters that we can’t help but give back where we can.”

On behalf of Texas Baptist Men, Burden is helping organize a group to head over to Orange on Labor Day.

Rachel Juneau and her son Mason will be among the group.

“It wasn’t even a choice,” Rachel said. “We are strong believers and anytime we can help, especially with our church, we will. As soon as we heard about the opportunity we jumped on it and asked where we can help and what we can do. We trust Pastor Burden to put us to good use, and we will go to where help is needed.”

Juneau said her house did not sustain any damage during the storm.

“We feel so lucky,” she said. “We didn’t even have any fallen limbs, but so many other people weren’t as lucky and so we feel like if we can help them in anyway, then that’s the right thing to do. Those people don’t have electricity, they don’t have food and to us it’s not sacrificing a whole lot. It’s one day to try to do what we can and help those that would do the same for us.”

A large tree fallen at a home in Orange is slowly being cut down for removal by volunteers.

Burden welcomes all volunteers wanting to help with Labor Day cleanup.

“There is so much work to be done,” he said. “People need limbs picked up out of their yards, debris hauled off to the curb and right now, anybody can help.”

Texas Baptist Men currently have volunteers in Orange, Deweyville and Mauriceville.

Burden said the volunteer organization is invaluable in Southeast Texas.

“It’s wild the amount of friendships we’ve made in previous disasters,” he said. “Those friendships are such a blessing to us when people from all over the state come back at the drop of a hat to help us out here in Southeast Texas. These are people who loved us even before they met us, and we are thankful for them.”

To volunteer on Labor Day, message Burden on Facebook or email pastorburden@gmail.com before Saturday. To register for individual aid on any day, visit tbmtx.org.