April 25, 2008

VALLEY FORGE, PA – More than 200 volunteers have signed on to help build 11 houses for 11 deserving families on the Gulf Coast in the 2008 Blitz Build in Baton Rouge, La., April 28 – May 17.

The Blitz Build is sponsored by National Ministries, on behalf of American Baptist Churches USA, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2008.

Watch the houses go up day by day at nationalministries.org where a photo album will feature pictures from the build site uploaded each night. A blog written by volunteers will also be online at http://2008baptistblitzbuild.blogspot.com/.

Two volunteers from the Costa Rica Baptist Federation and Gary Baits, a missionary with American Baptist International Ministries on U.S. and Puerto Rico assignment, will be sponsored by American Baptist Churches of the Great River Region (GRR). Of the total volunteer workforce, 73 hail from GRR; 50 will be traveling from New Jersey; and 39 volunteers are coming from Pennsylvania.

The Blitz Build will begin with a blessing of houses on Monday, April 28, and conclude with a dedication of the homes on Saturday, May 17, led by National Ministries' Executive Director Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III.

In 2007, National Ministries built 12 homes with 200-plus American Baptist volunteers in Baton Rouge, La., as part of a similar "Blitz Build" effort in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in August and September of 2005, National Ministries' Volunteer Ministries office has sent more than 1800 volunteers to the Gulf Coast to help with rebuilding.

National Ministries' Gulf Coast recovery efforts have been made possible by the generous contributions to One Great Hour of Sharing by thousands of faithful American Baptists.

The need for volunteers to help with recovery continues. Contact Victoria Goff, National Ministries' national coordinator of Volunteer Ministries, at vgoff@abc-usa.org, or 1-800-ABC-3USA, ext. 2449. Information is also available at http://www.nationalministries.org/.

American Baptist Churches USA