Thursday, February 15, 2007

Sikh NGO helps rebuild Florida church

Sikh NGO helps rebuild Florida church United Sikh, an international non-profit organisation, is helping authorities rebuild a church in Florida that was devastated by a deadly tornado early this month.

The NGO swung into action after it received information that the 31-year-old church at the Lady Lake area was turned into rubble by the tornado, according to the organisation's website.

The 150 miles per hour tornado which hit Florida and adjoining areas on February 2 blew trees, ripped roofs and threw mobile houses off their foundations, leaving thousands without power and killing at least killing 20 people.

Pastor Lary Lynn welcomed and thanked the NGO for the help and said it would take at least one-and-a-half years to rebuild the church.

United Sikh is working with the disaster recovery centres set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other volunteer organisations in the Lady Lake area.

The team will continue to assess the situation and provide emergency supplies and disaster relief as needed.

United Sikhs was formed in 1999 by a group of Sikhs from the New York metropolitan area.