latest news headlines
Community Lends a Helping Hand in Gulf Coast Rebuilding Efforts
As the disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have begun to fade into history, those of us not directly affected may at times forget that for the hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents, the nightmare will endure for many years to come. While basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter have largely been addressed, the tasks of rebuilding lives, communities and spirit will require many years and even more helping hands.
Chester, Pennsylvania-based Community Loudspeakers recently donated more than six hundred loudspeakers to help with the rebuilding efforts. Working together with a consortium of church groups, the company arranged for a truckload of speakers to be distributed to area churches, schools and other public facilities in the region.
“We were originally contacted by the Rev. Dr. Bayard S. Taylor Jr., Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church here in Chester,” explains Christine Howze, Community General Manager. “Reverend Taylor put us in touch with Pastor Lewis Ragins of the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Gulfport.” Community worked with Pastor Ragins to arrange the shipment, valued at well over $100,000, to the Gulfport area.
“We were a bit concerned at first, because our facility had sustained quite a bit of damage, and we really had nowhere to store the speakers,” Pastor Ragins reported. “But the folks at Community not only paid for the shipment, they arranged for the trailer to be left with us for over a week while we distributed the speakers.” Ragins has been working with local worship
organizations of all denominations, as well as the Harrison, Biloxi and Gulfport school districts, to offer the loudspeakers to churches, schools and community centers throughout the region.
“It’s important to remember that the road to recovery from a disaster of this magnitude is a journey of one step at a time,” Howze observes. “After the first steps of providing food, shelter and other basic necessities have been addressed, people in the area need help in rebuilding their communities, their churches and their schools. We hope our speakers will help the people who have suffered so much loss, to communicate messages of encouragement and better times ahead.”
8th February 2006
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
