Baylor baseball team helps nonprofit sort urgently needed food donations for victims of recent disasters

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – The Baylor University baseball team took a trip this weekend to help a Houston nonprofit that is helping disaster victims around the world after members of the team learned that the nonprofit was in dire need of volunteers.

The noble act of volunteerism has brought tears to members of the National Association of Christian Churches Emergency Services, as the nonprofit currently does not have the manpower to handle all the donations that are pouring in. following recent hurricanes, fires and humanitarian crises.

Two buses filled with 47 players, coaches and staff made the trip from Waco to Houston on Saturday.

It was a day of manual labor as the team sorted 108 pallets of donations, including everything from food and hygiene products to water and clothing.

“It was just an amazing opportunity for our guys to go see the eyes and the will of these people who do this daily with a servant’s heart and a willingness to truly provide for their neighbor,” said the coach. in chief of Baylor Baseball. Steve Rodriguez.

Donations will be sent to several locations, including to help victims of the hurricane that devastated Louisiana, those recovering from forest fires in California and victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

National Association of Christian Churches office manager Elizabeth Rodriguez said she only had three employees to help sort donations, meaning food would expire before it had time to store it. sort, and that many people in need would wait to receive the supplies they desperately need. .

“They hit around 108 pallets,” she said. “If they hadn’t been there, it would have taken at least a month to get there. You can’t do this job without volunteers.

Coach Rodriguez said his team have been looking for volunteer opportunities for months, but organizations have been reluctant to accept such a large team as the threat of COVID-19 continues.

He felt the trip to Houston was a good way to dramatically cut down on the work that needed to be done and the nonprofit agreed wholeheartedly.

“When we left they were in tears because they literally said ‘you just put in thousands of hours’,” coach Rodriguez said. “It was just a great opportunity for our guys. “

Just as the Waco team was leaving for central Texas, a bus of Haitian migrants being bused to Houston from Del Rio arrived at the facility.

Elizabeth said that by the end of the day on Tuesday, they would have nearly 200 Haitian migrants to help with food and shelter until they are sent to their next destination.

She said much of the preparation, unbeknownst to the team, was done with the help of the Bears.

“We will provide them with food and shelter and we will provide them with a hot shower, a hot meal and all the clothing they receive is donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” he said. she declared.

Elizabeth says she is grateful the athletes rolled up their sleeves to help at a time when help is most needed.

“We are very grateful from the bottom of our hearts,” said Elizabeth. “They have been a great blessing to us.

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