Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana opened a dedicated assistance line on August 22, 2026 to help residents who have been living without electricity for twelve days. The effort follows severe storms that struck the city in early August, leaving a large portion of the community without power for nearly two weeks.
The church’s outreach program is designed to provide relief assistance to those affected, coordinating resources such as food, water, and information about restoration timelines. Volunteers from the congregation began staffing the line early in the morning, fielding calls from households seeking guidance on how to cope with the prolonged outage.
A crowd of motorists gathered outside the church, forming a line that stretched more than a mile as people waited for the opportunity to speak with volunteers. The extensive queue reflected the depth of need across the city, where many families have endured cold temperatures and limited access to essential services.
Officials from the local utility company have confirmed that crews are working to restore power, but the scale of damage caused by the early‑August storms has slowed progress. In the meantime, community organizations like Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church have stepped in to fill gaps, offering a point of contact for residents to receive updates and basic supplies.
The church’s initiative underscores the role of local faith‑based groups in disaster response, particularly when municipal resources are stretched thin. By establishing a single telephone line and a physical presence for those awaiting assistance, the congregation aims to mitigate the hardships faced by Gary’s residents until full electricity service is restored.
As the city continues to recover, the aid line remains operational, with volunteers rotating shifts to ensure that calls are answered and that the line of waiting cars does not grow longer than the mile already reported.