DALTON, Ga. — Gaye Tate remembers vividly a family she helped in Houston, Texas, after Hurricane Harvey damaged their mobile home.

“If you’ve ever been to one (a disaster area) it’s just mind-boggling how much disaster there is,” Tate said. “You go in and sometimes there is nothing left of a home.”

Tate, a member of Central Church of Christ in Dalton, is a volunteer with the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.

Tate said this particular family — a grandmother, a mother and three children — had to live in one room for a week due to the damage from the hurricane. 

“The ceiling collapsed and grandma had to stay awake (at night) to keep raccoons out,” she said. “Our team spent about three days boarding up the trailer.” 

Tate said the family now has a completely rebuilt trailer.

Tate said she’d known about the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort for years.

“Since I’m retired I help a lot in Nashville and disaster areas,” she said. 

Tate said in the beginning she went to Nashville by herself. She was inspired.

“I came back and said, ‘Hey, we’re Christians and need to get involved,'” Tate said. “‘Let’s quit sitting on the pew and do something to help somebody.'” 

Tate said church members usually go on a day trip to Nashville, but she’s taken extended trips to disaster areas such as in Texas. 

“I stay a week or two,” she said. “Most volunteers either bring their campers or we sleep in Sunday school rooms on air mattresses.”

Steve Barton, a longtime member of Central Church of Christ, often drives church members to Nashville on the church’s 15-passenger van.

“The first day I went (to Nashville) there were a lot of people,” he said. “People were sent home because there was not enough room in the building for volunteers.” 

Barton said five trucks are on the road a week during disasters. One truckload will help feed 300 families.  

“Over 30 trucks went to south Texas with 1,500 boxes of food on each truck,” Barton said. “One box can feed a family of four for a week.”

Barton said the efforts are supported by Churches of Christ in the Tennessee area.

“Churches of Christ and people from all over the United States are helping with these efforts,” he said.   

Tate said it makes her feel good to be a part of something so meaningful. 

“I enjoy helping people, and I would hope if we had a disaster here somebody from out of the area will help us,” she said. 

The Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort accepts monetary donations and welcomes volunteers. For more information, visit www.disasterreliefeffort.org or call (615) 833-0888.