Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Tyrone's OM staffers OK, assist Indian earthquake relief

By LANE POWELL
Special to The Citizen

Operation Mobilization (OM), an international Christian mission agency with its U.S. office in Fayette County, is providing assistance to victims of the Jan. 26 earthquake in India. Teams are providing some food, clothing and water, and OM is working to supply much more and is making plans to get medical supplies to the affected area.

With approximately 750 on staff in India, nearly all of whom are Indian nationals, OM already had people on the ground who could get involved immediately following the quake. One team was in Bhuj, the epicenter, but was unharmed. They are now involved in relief and have been joined by other staff. All OM staff have been accounted for and were unharmed by the earthquake.

OM is making plans to ship medical equipment and supplies to India in coming days. The leadership of OM's teams in India is planning to be involved in long-term assistance, and as in past emergencies, expects to be involved in counseling people as they grieve and adjust to life after the earthquake.

Operation Mobilization, a 44-year-old ministry, has 2,700 workers serving in more than 85 countries around the world and onboard two ocean-going mission ships. The local office in Tyrone serves as the home base for the approximately 500 Americans working with OM.

To make tax-deductible contributions to relief work among earthquake victims in India, checks payable to OM may be mailed to Operation Mobilization, P.O. Box 444, Tyrone, GA 30290. Please indicate that your contribution is for India Earthquake Relief. OM belongs to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and is audited annually by an independent auditing firm.