Lakewood Church in Houston is accepting victims of Hurricane Harvey who
need a place to shelter, the megachurch tweeted this morning, after it
received backlash overnight for not offering its services to residents.
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| Flood in the church |
Joel Osteen, the church's famed pastor, tweeted, "Lakewood’s doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter."
The church posted a tweet that it is "also receiving supplies such as baby food, baby formula and other shelter needs."
On Sunday, Lakewood Church posted on Facebook that it was "inaccessible
due to severe flooding" and directed displaced residents to shelters in
the city. The church can hold more than 16,000 people and has been
previously active in relief efforts, including sheltering displaced
victims during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Facebook post courted criticism on social media on Monday, where
photos appeared to suggest that the massive building, once home to the
NBA's Houston Rockets, had not been damaged by the torrential rains. It
was not clear if the church was damaged in the storm.
In response, Osteen insisted in a statement Monday evening that he and
his church were "prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity."
"We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need," the statement said.
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| Flood in the Church |
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| Flood in the church |
It added, "Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of
this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives."
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