Tornado destroyed homes in Hattiesburg MS
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (BNc) — The congregation of Kensington Woods has helped over 2,200 people in the aftermath of the Feb. 10 tornado, preacher Mike Benson said today.
The tornado hit on a Sunday between 5:00-5:30 p.m. It left a path 21 miles long, causing 83 injuries, but no deaths. Two Mississippi counties, Lamar and Forrest, were hit.
Major damage and destroyed homes totaled in the hundreds: 340 homes in Forrest County, 220 homes in Lamar County.
In the city of Hattiesburg alone, 271 homes were destroyed, and 27 in the town of Petal.
Since Feb. 11 the congregation has received three semi loads of food and supplies from Churches of Christ Disaster Relief, Inc. The local black congregation, Helveston Road, has received two semi loads.
Kensington Wood church helps victims
Disaster Assistance, a different brotherhood group, sent its CEO Mike Bumgartner Monday the 11th. He has overseen daily lunch and meal preparation since shortly after the tornado.
As of Feb. 21, over 616 families sought food and cleaning supplies at the Kensington Woods building, Mike said.
That number means that more than 2,243 people received assistance from the building since the 12th.
The Kensington Woods saints hand-delivered more than 7,810 lunches since the 12th, not including more than 616 boxes of non-perishable foods.
They have also helped 40 families with clean-up since the 12th.
Volunteers from five states arrived to help at the congregation: Texas, Kansas, Louisana, Alabama, Tennessee. Brethren from Searcy, Ark., delivered mobile showers.
“Beginning next week our food distribution will take place Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays,” Mike said.
2013-02-25 at 10:46 am
We met the good people of Keningston Woods church just two days before the tornado at the funeral of P. W. Underwood, a beloved family member. We had always heard from P.W. the great work and heart for people of this church family. May God continue to bless all of them in their work. Herb & Sue Underwood