Liberty University to dispatch disaster relief teams to Kentucky

Liberty University is sending two teams to Kentucky this semester to assist communities hit hard by floods and tornado damage over the past year.

The teams of students and advisers will partner with Samaritan’s Purse. The trips are being organized by LU Serve Now, Liberty’s disaster relief initiative.

The first team leaves on Wednesday for Jackson, Ky., and will return on Sept. 4. In July, Jackson was devastated by catastrophic flooding, causing thousands of residents to be displaced. The team will assist in cleaning up debris and beautifying properties.

A second team will be in Mayfield, Ky., from Oct. 2-8, where a tornado swept through the area last December, killing over 85 people. It was the deadliest December tornado event in U.S. history. The team will be helping to rebuild homes damaged during the storm.

“The Serve Now program puts students in the very midst of disaster relief and humanitarian aid situations in which they are building that skill of helping somebody, ministering to somebody’s spiritual needs, and ministering to somebody’s emotional needs,” said LU Serve Director Chad Nelson. “And as they do that, they are conformed into the image of Jesus, thereby continuing to pursue that ideal of being a Champion for Christ.”

Nelson, who will be traveling with the team to Mayfield, said that LU Serve Now trips afford students the privilege of exemplifying Liberty’s mission in a new setting.

“The program is a platform for students to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a unique way,” he said.

LU Serve Now’s vision is to train up the next generation to be Champions for Christ in the field of disaster and crisis response by providing humanitarian, spiritual, and psychological aid. Their mission is to minister to and serve the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and communities, working alongside world-class organizations and leaders. For more information, email luservenow@liberty.edu.

Students interested in applying for the LU Serve Now program for the Fall Semester must apply by Sept. 2.