Winter Storm Response

Urgent help. Eternal hope.

A historic winter storm is impacting communities across a wide swath of the United States—bringing dangerous cold, snow, ice, and prolonged power outages. As families face uncertainty and vulnerable neighbors are exposed to life-threatening conditions, Send Relief is responding through the local church to bring help, warmth, and hope in Jesus’ name.

Even before the storm passes, the Church is present.

How Send Relief Is Responding

Send Relief ministry centers in St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Ashland, Kentucky; Boston, Massachusetts; and Atlanta, Georgia are responding, assessing needs, or preparing to serve as conditions allow—acting as hubs of compassion in some of the hardest-hit communities.

Through these centers, churches and ministry leaders are meeting urgent needs by:

• Distributing food, winter supplies, and emergency items
• Operating or preparing to open daytime warming centers for unhoused neighbors
• Coordinating with local shelters during Code Blue / emergency conditions
• Providing laundry, hygiene, and shower access where possible
• Creating space for prayer, gospel conversations, and pastoral care

In St. Louis, single-digit temperatures and dangerous wind chills have led the ministry center to expand daytime warming support as the state remains under a declared emergency. Neighbors are coming in significant numbers seeking warmth, meals, showers, and laundry services. The ministry center is currently calling for local volunteers only to help ensure vulnerable neighbors have a safe place to escape the cold.

This is what it looks like when preparation meets providence.

The Power of Local Ministry Centers

Send Relief ministry centers exist for moments like this.

Because they are embedded in their communities year-round—building trust, serving consistently, and equipping churches—these centers can respond quickly, wisely, and compassionately when disaster strikes.

What’s happening now is the fruit of long-term investment:

• Churches across the country previously supplied winter items that are now being distributed
• Workforce development and life-skills programs are now feeding and staffing emergency response
• Gospel relationships built over months and years are opening doors for hope in the middle of crisis

This is sustained response, not one-time relief.

Working Together Across the Storm’s Path

While Send Relief ministry centers anchor the response in key cities, we are also coordinating with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams that are actively responding or on alert across multiple states, with deployment paced by safety and road conditions.

Together, churches are:

• Providing hot meals in shelters
• Supporting warming stations and shelters during extreme cold
• Deploying chainsaw teams and cleanup support where weather damage allows
• Standing ready to mobilize additional feeding units as travel becomes safe

This cooperative effort allows the Church to move faster—and care deeper—than any single organization could alone.

How You Can Help Right Now

Pray

Join us in praying for:

• Safety for families and communities weathering the storm
• Protection for unhoused neighbors exposed to extreme cold
• Wisdom and strength for first responders and volunteers
• Opportunities for ministry centers and churches to share the warmth of God’s love through practical help and the hope of the gospel
• Wisdom and discernment for ministry leaders and volunteers navigating hazardous conditions

Give

Your generosity allows Send Relief ministry centers to:

• Support expanded warming center operations in extreme cold
• Expand food services
• Stock winter and hygiene supplies
• Extend warming center hours
• Sustain ministry beyond the storm’s immediate impact

Every gift helps meet urgent needs while pointing people to lasting hope.

Standing With the Vulnerable—Near and Far

Send Relief exists to help the Church live out the compassion of Christ—especially when suffering is most visible and most urgent. As this winter storm unfolds, we remain committed to walking alongside communities for as long as it takes.

The storm is real.
The need is urgent.
And the Church is responding.

Thank you for standing with Send Relief as we serve together in Jesus’ name.

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