Loving Our Neighbors Through Flood Relief

We have been moved by the way our community has responded to those impacted by the flooding. From the very beginning, our heart has been simple: love our neighbors well and meet people right where they are.


How You Can Help Right Now

The needs of flood-impacted families across our community are changing day by day, and we want to make sure every resource we receive gets to the right place at the right time. As we continue learning from the community and listening to where the greatest needs are, we are being thoughtful and intentional about how we move forward.

Immediate need. We are asking 100 volunteers to sign up to serve with Samaritan’s Purse before their September 19 departure date.


Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse is partnering with Northview Church to serve communities impacted by the recent flooding.

Our Northview Carmel Campus will host Samaritan’s Purse as their home base as volunteers head into the Indianapolis community to help homeowners with cleanup, offer emotional and spiritual support, and share the hope of Jesus.

Volunteers are needed. Samaritan’s Purse has the equipment and resources; they need willing hands and hearts ready to help with the cleanup.

Safety orientations | Monday through Saturday at 7:30am or 12:30pm in the Carmel Campus Student Center.

No experience or tools needed.

Where things stand. The response has been bigger than anyone expected, and the work is far from finished:

  • 98 open work orders remain, with work already completed on 66 homes and 6,412 volunteer hours given so far.
  • Extended through September 19. Because the need is so great, Samaritan’s Purse has extended their original two-week commitment by another two weeks.
  • Volunteers from 13 states have shown up to help Hoosiers impacted by the floods. Watching them work has been truly inspirational.
  • 7 people have given their lives to Jesus through this work. This is what it is all for.

With the timeline extended, the need for volunteers continues. There is still plenty of room to join in.


Organizations Equipped for the Long Haul

Three organizations in our area are better equipped than we are to carry this work for the long haul, and we recommend supporting them directly:

These organizations are able to pivot more quickly than we can, which helps ensure the items being collected are the ones needed in that moment.


If you want to get hands-on in your help for flood relief victims, IDES is another great organization serving people across counties. Volunteer with International Disaster Emergency Service via VolunteerLocal.


How Our Community Has Already Shown Up

Here is a look at what loving our neighbors has already looked like, including packing cleaning buckets to go out into the community.


Anderson Convoy of Hope

Our Anderson Campus partnered with Convoy of Hope to move 19 pallets of supplies to those in need. It is a beautiful picture of what happens when organizations come together to care for people.


Carmel Senior Living Center

Carmel Campus opened its doors to displaced senior citizens, housing them in the Carmel Student Center so they had a warm and safe place to land during a really difficult time.


Noblesville

We have visited Noblesville, where the response at the fairgrounds and the local collection efforts have been especially strong. The Trading Post is also collecting and distributing supplies to the community. We have offered our support for the long haul as recovery continues.


Staff Outreach

On Wednesday, our staff went directly into the communities to hand out hygiene kits to those impacted by the flooding. They met people right where they were, bringing care and compassion directly to the community.


Rangeline Community Center – Anderson

One of the facilities housing evacuated individuals is Rangeline Community Center in Anderson. We wanted to make sure the people there felt cared for and seen. Loving and caring for this community has looked like this:

  • Friday | We delivered 40 pillows, 40 blankets, bottled water, and snacks.
  • Saturday | We followed up with food boxes, more bottled water, hygiene kits, and cleaning supplies.
  • Sunday | Residents began asking for Bibles. Chase made a special delivery Sunday afternoon to make sure they had them in their hands.

We know that recovery takes time, and we are committed to walking with these families for as long as it takes. This is what it looks like to love your neighbor.


Continuing to Serve Anderson

The work in Anderson has not slowed down. Here is what serving our neighbors there has looked like in recent days:

  • Cleaning bucket pack | On Sunday, 40 volunteers packed over 140 cleaning buckets, 4 pallets worth.
  • Operation Love | We delivered 131 of those buckets to Operation Love on Monday, and they distributed them to 131 families the next morning. We also sent along extra gloves, respirators, wipes, coveralls, and trash bags.
  • Into the neighborhoods | Last Tuesday, our staff team went door to door with pizza and cleaning supplies for those who needed them, and we were able to pray with folks along the way.
  • Christian Center | 9 more cleaning supply buckets are headed to Christian Center this week.

There is more to come. We will keep showing up in Anderson and across our communities for as long as the need is there.


Glendale Christian Church – Ravenswood, Indianapolis

One of the most moving parts of this journey has been crossing paths with Glendale Christian Church. This small church of just 26 attenders in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Indianapolis has become the heart of their community during the flooding. They opened their doors wide and became a hub for neighbors in need. They also welcomed Northview with open arms, and together we have been able to bring boxed fans, trash bags, cleaning supplies, and one of the most requested items of all, toilet paper. It is a great reminder that the size of a church does not determine the size of its impact.


If You Have Been Impacted by Flooding

If you or someone you know has been affected, please do not hesitate to reach out. We want to come alongside you and make sure you have the support you need. Below are resources to help:

  • For updates regarding flooding and general resources click here.
  • To request specific resources, please call 211.
  • For Noblesville FAQs, please click here.
  • For Carmel Resources, please click here.
  • For Anderson Resources, please click here.
  • If in Hamilton County and have been displaced by flooding, please call 317-645-3261 for assistance.

Your generosity and willingness to love your neighbors is making a real and lasting difference. We are so grateful for this community.