Welcome to "Compassion for Life/Disaster Relief Servants"

Compassion for Life is a 501C-3, non-profit, non-denominational, humanitarian, charitable organization that provides physical, spiritual, mental/emotional and other relief necessary to aid victims of poverty, natural and/or man-made disasters. The organization was established in November 2004. Donations/proceeds are used 90% for ministering to the needy who have no other means of support and 10% for the ministry's operating expenses. We operate strictly on a volunteer basis, there are no paid positions within the organization. The organization is currently funded by private donations.  Corporate sponsorship, fellowships and grants are welcomed if anyone wants to assist us so that no one is turned away due to the lack of funds, supplies, donations or volunteers.

2005 began with being mentored by another disaster relief organization with 15 years expierence. The name of the organization is "Hearts With Hands" located in Asheville, NC. They gave us encouragement, direction, some gear and many materials to model our programs after. From there we took Community Emergency Response Team training and gained our certification.  We were also certified in CPR and First Aid. Upon completion of our training we were immediately thrust into action with the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. We helped in the giving of clothing, hygiene items, blankets and toys/games for the children of nearly 80 displaced families that evacuated to our area. We were given over 2000 lbs. of water that we delivered to a distribution center in Destrehan, LA called "Covenant Compassion Center" that furnished water for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  We were called upon to supply water for "The Development Group" who were relief workers helping to rebuild and put on tarps in Florida from Hurricane Dennis' fury. As 2005 was coming to an end, wildfires began breaking out in the South.  We were able to help a family who lost their home in a fire with money, clothes and toys for the children. As 2006 began, the wildfires continued to destroy and devour everything in their paths.  Our Operation Restoration Program went into effect by cleaning up yards to free them of debris, leaves, dead branches, trash, etc. to make the elderly/disabled safer from the wildfire dangers. Our PITT Program (Preparation In Today's Times) also went into effect. We held a class on disaster preparedness for the public to aid them in keeping safe during all the wildfire breakouts. The wildfires took many dwellings in our community and we helped with a fundraiser that brought in approximately $45,000.00 for the victims that did not have insurance. We were also able to help ease some financial distress for a single mom and her family by helping her to pay her medical bills. A houseful of furniture, small and large applieances and clothing was donated to Compassion for Life in May. We contacted the Fire Chief and were hooked up with individuals that needed items that had lost everything in the January wildfires in our local community.  We were able to bless 4 families with material goods. Compassion for Life was donated a 24' Coachmen travel trailer so that whenever we are called to help at disaster sites we will always have a safe, secured place to rest up for the following days work.  Compassion for Life has been blessed with an over abundance of clothing, so much we have run out of storage.  We have been able to help another organization within our community, called New Haven Helping Hands with their clothing ministry.  We were also glad to help the ministry of the Lutheran Church in Mineral Wells called, "The Acts Of Prayer" for their outreach to the homeless.  They give meals and clothing to the homeless and we were blessed to give them a truck load of clothing for their cause. The "Girls In Action" from Garner Baptist Church had a garage sale to help pay for their summer camp.  The items left over from their garage sale they donated to Compassion for Life. We have been in need of more storage space for quite some time and the Tincher's of Mineral Wells, TX donated a large storage unit to Compassion for Life, "What a blessing!" Awhile back we were blessed with $400 worth of Microsoft software, including Quick Books from KLTY Radio Station.  We were in need of a newer computer that was capable of running the new programs on.  In May we were blessed with a newer computer from Joella Feasel of Bliss Charters in Fostoria, OH. and a monitor from Kathy McCann of Weatherford, TX. In September, a  5700 watt generator was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Tatum of Mineral Wells, TX., making us self-sufficient at disaster sites.  As members of Parker County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) we have been briefed on "The Cities Readiness Initiative" and the State of Texas mandate for emergency preparedness opportunities, training classes and drills across the country. In Sept. 2006 we returned to Louisiana to help at a distribution center and to help rebuild homes. The need still remains a year after Katrina and we will continue to help in whatever way we can to rebuild the lives that Katrina tried to destroy. We were blessed with a brand new 16' cargo trailer in November 2006 and were able to put it to use immediately. We had furniture donated to an elderly/disabled couple that lost their home to a fire. We were able to furnish their home with those donations. We were able to bless a single mom who was recently released from drug rehab to get back on her feet and supply her with items for her apartment.  A mother of 5 contacted us and needed clothes, shoes and coats for her children along with many household items that were greatly needed due to a family crisis. As 2007 began we have  attended refresher courses on chemical disasters, storm tracker safety, etc. We were contacted by a fire victim, Sally Johnson, and we were able to give her some donated items that she needed. We were also blessed to be able to help out a family of 11 who lost their home to fire as well. The Ramirez family of Mineral Wells, TX received clothing, bedding, small appliances, furniture items, household decorating items, etc. We were also able to help provide assistance to a family of 7 when the mother was diagnosed with cancer and she needed a blood transfusion. CFL gave blood and food for the family when their supply had run down due to large medical bills. Many of you also donated blood to replenish her supply and we exceeded it! The family was donated so much food that they did not have room to store it all. A local church offered to pay the family's electric bill for one year...our friends and partners are the best! Together we will continue to help the helpless and bring hope to the hopeless. Thanks to all of you who support us with your time, prayers, finances and goods.  We could not do all that we do without you, thank you! We have been blessed to welcome a Grief Recovery Specialist, Denise Alessandri to our team. Denise helps victims to live beyond their loss. She does grief, loss, bereavement counseling for the disaster victims that we encounter. Our CERT team was activated to help assist the flood victims of Horseshoe Bend in June 2007 when the gates were opened at Possum Kingdom Dam which flooded the already saturated land from all of the unseasonable rain that Texas had. There were many victims that needed to be evacuated and sheltered during that time. Our church relief team, EMIC Emergency Relief, went to Gainsville and Sherman Texas to hand out food to the flood victims in those areas and to adopt a family that lost everything with financial assistance. CFL will assist the disaster victims that the Red Cross helps, when contacted by the victims, with the programs that we have to assist them in their recovery. In 2008, we joined up with the efforts of U-Turn World Ministries of Fort Worth, TX in assisting the afflicted within that ministry. The April/May hail storms caused much damage to the residents of Mineral Wells, TX. We were blessed to assist an elderly/disabled widow on a fixed income without insurance to make some repairs to her home. June brought an opportunity to help a disabled mother of 4 children to clothe, feed and encourage her and her children. We were also able to give her a hospital bed and wheelchair, thanks to our donors. We humbled and honored to be invited to speak at the First United Methodist Church Men's Fellowship Breakfast. We are always blessed when others show an interest in what we are called to do. Hurricane Gustav caused quuite a stir, however we did not have to deploy due to the lack of it predicted severity. We were however, deployed to assist an international disaster relief organization called Operation Blessing International. We had the capability of feeding up to 2,000 people a day from their mobile kitchen, both first responders and survivors of Ike. We filled out work orders in the hard hit community of Bridge City, TX where over 90% of the homes were flooded. We provided gutting of homes, blue tarping of roofs and tree removal. It was a very rewarding trip. Thanks to all of our partners who support us in prayer and finances, we cannot do it without you.