Written by Dr. Steve Whitaker, Head of School

Dear TFA Family,

If you’re like me, you’ve seen the images from Puerto Rico and your heart aches for the victims. The loss of life, the destruction of homes, and the years of reconstruction seem incomprehensible. Even as I wrote these words, I stopped and prayed for the countless lives impacted by the horrific storm of Hurricane Maria.

In recent hours, many have asked about how we can help with disaster relief. My dear friend Bill Mitchell serves as Missions Pastor at FBCO and is the father of our own Amber Brown who teaches 5th Grade at TFA. We will be working in concert with his efforts and he shares the following wisdom . . .

“When we see the scenes that the media is showing, our first reaction is, “we have got to do something!” You can!

1. The best thing you can do right now is to give financially to a reputable organization that is trustworthy.

2. Pray for the local church congregations to be the “light and salt” in areas where they live.

3. Pray for all leaders in the federal, state and local government as they work together.”

Finally, there is an opportunity to serve locally with the nonprofit organization “Feeding Children Everywhere,” which provides food for hungry people around the globe and is leading the “Orlando Cares-Help for Puerto Rico” initiative. Beginning this Friday, the group will begin working to pack meals to feed hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. 30,000 volunteers are needed to assist in this effort, which will continue seven days a week, several hours per day, through November 4, or until 4.4 million meals have been boxed and shipped from Orlando to the island. You can learn more about this humanitarian effort HERE and you can register to volunteer HERE.

We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with relief agencies on the ground and let you know of any efforts we might be undertaking together with FBCO in the near future. Thank you for giving and praying for all those affected by Hurricane Maria.

Sincerely,
Steve