OK Baptist Disaster Relief Preparing Hot Meals For Hurricane Harvey Victims

Floodwaters are slowly receding in Southeast Texas after Hurricane Harvey, but, in some areas, city officials are asking residents to leave their homes so crews can release water from overflowing reservoirs.

FEMA said they've received more than 350,000 requests for assistance.

President Donald Trump will return to Texas and Louisiana Saturday to meet with victims and survey the damage.

And as help is still needed, Oklahomans are reaching out to do their part.

Volunteers with the Baptist Disaster Relief organization are on a three-week deployment to Texas, but it may be even longer.

8/30/2017 Related Story: More Green Country Groups Head To Texas To Help Flood Victims

The first truckloads of food arrived at a church in the Woodlands, north of Houston, where Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers from Oklahoma are setting up a mobile feeding unit.

They'll prepare meals to send to evacuees at a shelter set up at a convention center in Houston.

"There is a Texas team there now but I'm not sure if they're able to keep up," said Sapulpa Resident Lou Martin.

Once they're up and running, the volunteers able to make up to 20,000 meals each day.

"You see, these people who are displaced in shelters, they need to be cared for, and obviously when you have a mass amount of people you've got to be able to feed them,” Martin said.

It's hot, tiring, yet very fulfilling work for the volunteers from northeastern Oklahoma - like Wanda McLaughlin from Chouteau.

"Not everybody is called to do this, but the ones who are, I guarantee you their hearts in the right place," she said.

Knowing they're helping people in Houston who are hungry and hurting makes the long days worth it.

"It's just a Godly thing to do," McLaughlin said.

Once the meals are prepared, the Red Cross will deliver them to Houston.