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Reverend Dawn Baird, of the Lakehills United Methodist Church, accompanied by members of the congregation, speaks to Bandera County commissioners.
Photo by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
April 20, 2022
Lakehills church moves to become recognized emergency shelter
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
After offering immediate shelter to anyone affected by the Das Goat Fire in Medina County last month, Reverend Dawn Baird, pastor of the Lakehills United Methodist Church, is more confident than ever that the LUMC mission hall could and should be recognized as an official emergency evacuation shelter for crisis and relief efforts.
“On March 26, we set up the mission hall as an emergency evacuation center. Within five hours we had our first person walking through the door,” Baird told commissioners last Thursday, adding the church has named the effort Neighbors Helping Neighbors. “It’s one of our greatest strengths and noble missions.”
For about eight hours during the devastating fire that lasted days and ate through 1,092 acres, Baird said “car after car after car” delivered supplies. She said LUMC has partnered with numerous agencies, including the American Red Cross, Texas Hill Country Emergency Resources, Bandera County Interagency Coalition, Wesley Nurse, the Bandera County Boys & Girls Club, the Pipe Creek Presbyterian Church and others.
“Our goal is to provide proactive and practical support to disaster victims,” Baird said, clarifying the shelter is there for anyone and everyone of all diversities, regardless of race, religion, gender, economics, philosophy - or species. “We can even set up an area for animals. We have met federal evacuation guidelines. We have met guidelines for federal pet evacuation.”
Some amenities of the facility include showers, washers/dryers, a kitchen and two food pantries.
“We can provide a meal for up to 250 people at a time,” she said. “People are still remembering what happened, and they want to be prepared if it happens again. People who are evacuated from their homes want to be as close to their property as possible. Shelters were set up in Bandera and Helotes, but…it wasn’t their community. It gave them fear because they had to go to another city.”
Baird said Medina County recognized the shelter on March 28. She said the benefit to Bandera County is the cooperative effort of working in tandem with the Emergency Operations Center. She said once officially recognized, the church could be listed with FEMA and it opens them up to grant opportunities.
“The whole community needs to be committed,” County Judge Richard Evans said. “They need to get with our emergency management coordinator. But our goal is to welcome.”
Pct. 2 Commissioner Bobby Harris said the next step is for Baird to coordinate with Emergency Operations Coordinator Carey Reed to go through formal emergency shelter training.
“I think it’s a great thing that you’ve done and that you’re proposing. This is a fantastic idea,” Harris said.
“On March 26, we set up the mission hall as an emergency evacuation center. Within five hours we had our first person walking through the door,” Baird told commissioners last Thursday, adding the church has named the effort Neighbors Helping Neighbors. “It’s one of our greatest strengths and noble missions.”
For about eight hours during the devastating fire that lasted days and ate through 1,092 acres, Baird said “car after car after car” delivered supplies. She said LUMC has partnered with numerous agencies, including the American Red Cross, Texas Hill Country Emergency Resources, Bandera County Interagency Coalition, Wesley Nurse, the Bandera County Boys & Girls Club, the Pipe Creek Presbyterian Church and others.
“Our goal is to provide proactive and practical support to disaster victims,” Baird said, clarifying the shelter is there for anyone and everyone of all diversities, regardless of race, religion, gender, economics, philosophy - or species. “We can even set up an area for animals. We have met federal evacuation guidelines. We have met guidelines for federal pet evacuation.”
Some amenities of the facility include showers, washers/dryers, a kitchen and two food pantries.
“We can provide a meal for up to 250 people at a time,” she said. “People are still remembering what happened, and they want to be prepared if it happens again. People who are evacuated from their homes want to be as close to their property as possible. Shelters were set up in Bandera and Helotes, but…it wasn’t their community. It gave them fear because they had to go to another city.”
Baird said Medina County recognized the shelter on March 28. She said the benefit to Bandera County is the cooperative effort of working in tandem with the Emergency Operations Center. She said once officially recognized, the church could be listed with FEMA and it opens them up to grant opportunities.
“The whole community needs to be committed,” County Judge Richard Evans said. “They need to get with our emergency management coordinator. But our goal is to welcome.”
Pct. 2 Commissioner Bobby Harris said the next step is for Baird to coordinate with Emergency Operations Coordinator Carey Reed to go through formal emergency shelter training.
“I think it’s a great thing that you’ve done and that you’re proposing. This is a fantastic idea,” Harris said.