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This wise counsel has been imbedded into my heart and is one of the themes and mantra’s that I keep with me every day of my life! Meeting one another’s needs is one of the essential duties that we have to one another, as Jesus himself stated in Matthew 25:35- 40; “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
This is an exciting time to know that we have been blessed with the ability to help others in a very special way with no fan-fare or praise; just the thought that a family, a father and/or a mother, a daughter or a son… that people will be blessed in the most considerate way possible with all humility. That is the key! This will also help redeem the love that we should have for our fellow-man on so many levels. The fact is disasters happen just as sure as the sun rises and falls; just as sure as the tide flows in and out… emergencies outside of our control will occur in many fashions and in many locales. Our goal is to be ready through proper preparation and planning to meet the needs on the ground for those who have been adversely affected by the calamity that they are experiencing.
After working with the Red Cross personally, Minister Harris saw a need that was waiting to be met through immediate and positive action to link others outside the area of devastation to those who were directly inside the eye of the devastation. The Guardian Angel Adoption Program is a family-to-family and peer-to-peer endeavor that pairs families who have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina to get assistance from other families across the nation to collectively meet the needs of the "adopted" family in need. Usually, 5 or more families are paired with the one adopted family to spread the responsibility of meeting the needs of the devastated with no one family bearing the burden of the relief effort alone. We also work with any organization in a Humanitarian fashion an manner, who wishes to help those who need it most here on the Gulf Coast and beyond. To date approximately 3,550 (+) families have been assisted reached for support in some way with more relief coming in the days and months to come. Over 11,000+ meals have been supplied to many residents who needed these services.
With the success of this community based program, we have branched out to help in other event-based relief where natural disasters and calamities have occurred. This next step in our evolution to be an even more interactive and powerful in the lives of those who are hurting and need assistance and support after a major calamity, natural disaster or life-changing emergency. God has blessed us with a unique perspective about how to be effective after a major upheaval occurs, especially after a disaster like this comes to past. This type of interaction “during and after the fray” so to speak has forged within us an insight and aptitude to know how to go in and be a direct help to those who have been displaced and left without sustainable necessities to make it “after the storm”.
My Dear Mother, Pauline H. Harris, who has gone on to glory instilled in me a deep desire to be a difference maker in my fellow human beings lives, as she wisely reminded me;
The devastation and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have
caused an evolution and or idea that has spawned into a true
humanitarian effort that is called…
"The Guardian Angel Adoption Program", a direct community
life-line to assist those people who need immediate assistance
during the Katrina Aftermath in an ongoing benevolent fashion.
James D. Harris, Jr. is the author of the program and began
developing it during the Hurricane Aftermath after noticing the
great gulf of needs that were not being met in the community where the church edifice resides.