By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Local Baptist churches are coming together to form teams headed to North Carolina to help with cleanup after Hurricane Florence.

Larry Felkins of Chilton Baptist Association said a group led by West End Baptist Church will be leaving on Oct. 1, and a group led by First Baptist Church in Clanton will be leaving on Oct. 2.

Men and women from a number of local Baptist churches will be a part of these teams.

“They will be doing a combination of chainsaw work … and mud out,” Felkins said.

Teams will be removing trees and limbs that are creating a dangerous situation, such as having fallen on a house or blocking a road or driveway.

The other aspect of the work is “mud out,” removing items from houses that have been flooded and tearing out ruined Sheetrock and insulation up to where the waterline was. Felkins said this reduces the amount of mold and mildew that grows. After the building is cleaned out, homeowners will get with their insurance companies about repair.

An exact number of how many local volunteers will be going will be finalized on Oct. 1. However, Felkins said each team has an average of 6-8 members, meaning there could be 12 to 16 going this time around.

Volunteers will be in North Carolina for a week. Each member of the chainsaw crew has been trained and received certification. Some of the team members have also received training on working in the mobile kitchen that has already been taken to the area.

Relief efforts are being coordinated by the American Red Cross. Red Cross assess needs after a natural disaster and calls the North American Mission Board disaster relief department and The Salvation Army when there are specific needs the organizations can help with.

The North American Mission Board disaster relief department contacts state boards, which contact local Baptist associations, such as Chilton Baptist Association.

“In a situation like this, we could get called out twice or more,” Felkins said.

He said if the group is needed again different volunteers might go as we will as some who served the first week.

“We have people that is what they do,” Felkins said. “It’s what they like to do. Everyone has their gifts.”