Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Ready to help: 79-year-old volunteer dedicated to disaster relief, serving others

  • January 22, 2023
  • Georgia's The Christian Index
  • Disaster Relief, Featured, Georgia, Latest News
Charles Raburn poses with his chainsaw. The 79-year-old was among those deployed to help cleanup recent tornado damage in Georgia.
(Photo courtesy of the Christian Index)

Ready to help: 79-year-old volunteer dedicated to disaster relief, serving others

Charles Raburn and his chainsaw were dwarfed by the massive branches of a giant oak toppled by one of the deadly tornadoes that recently hit the Southeast.

The Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer stood high above a soggy lawn in Griffin, Georgia, among those branches in a tree that measured nearly 20 feet around at its base.

Raburn wasn’t intimidated. He whittled the oak, which had damaged two Griffin homes and a garage when it fell, down to size one piece at a time.

Not bad for a 79-year-old.

A way to help

Raburn, a Cedartown resident who retired from a north Georgia steel mill nearly two decades ago, is one of an army of Georgia volunteers, most of them retirees, who mobilized after the latest round of tornadoes hopscotched across Georgia, claiming at least two lives in the state and damaging homes and businesses in several communities.

“I’ve always had a desire to help people,” Raburn said. “Disaster Relief is a great way to do that.”

It’s not unusual for a Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief crew to be made up entirely of retirees, often in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Without work obligations, they’re the ones who are able to deploy at a moment’s notice to help people caught up in calamities.

Raburn, a member of Victory Baptist Church in Rockmart, said disaster relief work not only allows him to bring hope, help and healing to others but also helps to keep him spry. He has been mobilized to help victims of hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms and floods all over the country.

‘Until I can’t do it any longer’

“God has blessed me with good health, and I want to stay busy for Him,” Raburn said. “I want to continue doing this until I’m so old I can’t do it any longer.”

Raburn’s wife, Sandra, said she supports her husband’s passion for disaster relief.

“It worries me, but I’m glad he enjoys it,” she said. “He’s just one of the best Christian men I’ve ever known.”

One of his fellow Disaster Relief volunteers, Jeff Carter, said Raburn is a hard worker, an expert with a chainsaw, and has the dexterity of an 20-year-old.

“I’ve been knowing Charles for probably about 50 years, and he’s fearless when it comes to climbing and cutting trees,” Carter said. “In his younger days, he worked for a tree-cutting service. He could climb barehanded, no ropes or nothing.”

Heroes

Disaster relief work is physically taxing. Sometimes the volunteers are called out in the coldest days of winter when an ice storm has struck. Sometimes they’re called out on the hottest day of summer when a hurricane has blown ashore.

In the past year, Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers have deployed to Kentucky to help tornado and flood victims, Florida to help hurricane victims, Colorado to help wildlife survivors, and overseas to Poland to help refugees who fled Ukraine when Russia invaded their country. They also had a series of deployments within Georgia.

Modern-day heroes

Dwain Carter, director of Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief, has described the volunteers as modern-day heroes.

“To drop everything you’re doing on the spur of the moment and rush off to a disaster zone to help hurting people, that makes you a hero,” he said. “To leave a comfortable home and a soft bed to go stay in a gymnasium and sleep on a cot so you can assist people in some of the worst moments of their lives, that makes you a hero.”

When Jeff Carter is pulling together a team, Raburn is always among his first calls.

“He has always been my go-to man on saw operations,” Jeff Carter said. “He’s in good shape for anybody, but he’s in great shape for a 79-year-old.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Roger Alford and originally published by the Christian Index.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Church sees numbers double with help from IMB missionaries
    Church sees numbers double with help from IMB missionaries
    September 22, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Looking for growing Southern Baptist churches? Check the Northeast, study says
    Looking for growing Southern Baptist churches? Check the Northeast, study says
    September 22, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Ongoing legal battle between Liberty, Falwell takes another twist
    Ongoing legal battle between Liberty, Falwell takes another twist
    September 22, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Church sees numbers double with help from IMB missionaries

“Once we began to minister outside of our own area, that’s where the growth really came from,” pastor Paul Huenefeld said.

black and white book on brown wooden shelf

Looking for growing Southern Baptist churches? Check the Northeast, study says

If you’re looking for a Southern Baptist church, you’re most likely to find one in the South. If you want to find a growing Southern Baptist church, however, you might try the Northeast.

Ongoing legal battle between Liberty, Falwell takes another twist

Jerry Falwell Jr. alleges misconduct by Liberty University’s board of directors and has attempted to ban the university from using images of his late father.

Athens Serve Tour helps Greek churches boost compassion ministry

More than 65 Serve Tour volunteers from 13 churches joined Greek local churches to bring physical help and gospel hope to a diverse city.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel