Sept. 29, 2008 issue
Dallas churches host evacuees from Houston
By Celeste Kennel-Shank Mennonite Weekly ReviewMore than 60 Mennonite church members from the Houston area returned home Sept. 21-22 after evacuating because of Hurricane Ike to Dallas, where Mennonite congregations provided food, housing and other aid.
Marco Guete, associate conference minister for Western District Conference, located in Dallas, said Iglesia Menonita Mi Redentor (My Redeemer Mennonite Church) hosted 30 to 40 people. House of Healing hosted 20 to 25 people, he said.
Sandra Martinez coordinated hosting the evacuees.
Other area churches contributed financially to hosting, and Mennonite Disaster Service and Western District did as well.
“We were able to buy food, air mattresses, and other items that were needed,” Guete said.
The evacuees, from Iglesia Menonita Casa del Alfarero (Potter’s House Mennonite Church) and Nueva Jerusalen (New Jerusalem) in Pasadena, Texas, returned home Sept. 21-22 to find much destruction, Guete said.
Two families lost everything, he said.
Melissa Roth, interim pastor of Peace Mennonite Church, said other families had no work.
Hurricane Ike came ashore in Texas Sept. 13, killing more than 50 people in the United States and leaving thousands homeless.
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