Local couple volunteers with Christian based organization

Many people in the area have friends and family members who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes, Gustav and Ike. A retired couple in the community, Rod and Glenna Callen, are volunteering with Crisis Response International (CRI), a Christian disaster relief organization that is responding to those in need.
The motivation behind CRI is to bring true hope to people who are in the midst of crisis. Volunteers are extensively trained in Chaplaincy, CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management), CERT, FEMA course work, ServeSafe (food handling), and various First Aid courses. Leaders in the organization pray about when and where to respond and the response teams include worship leaders and pastoral people who minister to the victims. And, of course, physical needs are also met. The CRI kitchen is known to serve the best coffee around along with excellent hot meals.
Rod recently responded to Hurricane Gustav as part of an advance team. After praying about when and where to respond, they found themselves in the first wave of those...
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PHOTO: An army of eight, including a Drexel resident, set out from Grandview, Missouri to lend a helping hand to those ravaged by Hurricane Gustav. Pictured above, left to right, back row: CRI Director Sean Malone, Nick Yaws, Rod Callen, Steven Kretzschmarr. Front row, left to right: Angelique Miller, Barbara Sholar, Janice Slater and Scott Mactierean. Courtesy photo