Update: Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Ministering in Baton Rouge and Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Widespread Displacement, Extreme Poverty Necessitate Locations

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team deployed from Charlotte on Monday, Sept. 1, and has begun ministering in two locations along the Gulf Coast: Baton Rouge, La. and Donaldsonville, La. In Baton Rouge, initial ministry will focus on those staying in shelters - more than 80,000 people are staying in 46 shelters, according to a contact at one local agency. In addition to the initial group of chaplains, several more will be brought in to meet the need. Donaldsonville is an extremely impoverished area where nearly 50 percent of those under 18 live below the poverty line. Located approximately 30 miles from Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville received a direct hit from Hurricane Gustav which resulted in significant home damage from high winds and toppled trees. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and Samaritan's Purse are working with homeowners to meet their physical and emotional needs. "Many of the people we've spoken with don't have insurance and feel like they've been left behind," said Jack Munday, director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "We want them to know that they aren't forgotten and that they are loved." There is no current projection for the duration of this deployment to the Gulf Coast. Volunteer chaplain schedules are being finalized and chaplains will begin arriving tomorrow and over the next few days from as far away as New Mexico and California. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed following the attacks of September 11, 2001. It has since grown into a nationwide database of more than 2,800 chaplains and ministry volunteers who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed more than 40 times following natural and man-made disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and shootings. About BGEA The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) proclaims the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world by every effective means available. From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., BGEA runs a wide range of domestic and international evangelism ministries, including: large-scale festivals led by evangelist Franklin Graham; Dare to Be a Daniel, a youth evangelism training project; My Hope World Evangelism Through Television; the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, offering the hope of Jesus Christ in the midst of tragedy; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet. For more information, please visit www.billygraham.org. Media Contact: Erik Ogren (704) 577-2109 eogren@bgea.org