Convoy Brings Three-Tier Response to Marianna, Florida
Convoy of Hope’s Field Teams kicked off 2024 by taking a team from Life Church in Utah to serve Evangel Church and the Marianna, Florida, community. Evangel Church is a long-time Rural Initiatives partner. In 2018, Hurricane Michael swept through the Marianna community and affected nearly 100,000 people. Convoy of Hope’s initial disaster response continued with Field Teams to help repair damage.
Since Convoy has been sending teams to work with Evangel in Marianna since 2018, a team was scheduled a year in advance to go in January 2024 with plans to finish up projects for the hurricane recovery. These plans changed when another disaster struck.
On January 9, several tornadoes ripped through Marianna and flattened businesses, overturned semitrucks, and destroyed campgrounds. Convoy immediately responded with truckloads of relief supplies such as tarps, totes, cleaning supplies, water, and hygiene kits.
Evangel Church took a heavy hit: The storm flattened one of their buildings and heavily damaged two others. When Convoy’s team arrived, they were able to help move supplies out of damaged buildings, tear out wallboard, and pick up trash and debris.
Additionally, Convoy’s Disaster Services team sent a load of groceries. Volunteers from Evangel Church packed grocery bags and held a distribution for the community.
“Even in the middle of their chaos, Evangel still wanted to help their community. Their heart for their community is just incredible,” said Convoy’s Julie Aye.
This is a picture of what Convoy is about: Coming together in partnership to help people in need. Whether it’s through disaster response, Rural Initiatives, Field Teams, or a combination of all three, Convoy is honored to serve people in need.
