LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) Red River Feeding Unit of Arkadelphia provided lunch on Tuesday for members of the Area Maritime Security Committee at the Port of Little Rock.
The opportunity to showcase the skills of disaster relief came about when ABDR Director Randy Garrett was invited to share how disaster relief operations might provide aid in case of an emergency. To help demonstrate, Garrett asked the Red River Feeding Unit to join him at the meeting. The unit brought its quick response trailer that can mobilize quickly and provide meals for 100 to 150 people.
Red River Feeding Unit Leader David McAllister said Tuesday’s menu consisted of beef brisket, baked beans, coleslaw, toast, and pie. Any leftovers were brought back to be distributed through the Red River Baptist food pantry.
“It was a good time,” McAllister said. “I got to learn a little about the port operations there. We met the managing director. The commanding officer for the Memphis unit of Coast Guard was also there with several of her officers. It was a pretty high-level meeting. We just felt privileged to be asked to come up and show what we can do.”
According to the United States Coast Guard website, an Area Maritime Security Committee is established for each Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone. There are 41 COTP Zones and each zone maintains an Area Maritime Security Plan with a few exceptions. An Area Maritime Security Committee is composed of at least seven members having an interest in the security of the area and who may be selected from various organizations and agencies.