DANVILLE, Va. – As Hurricane Ida batters Louisiana, a Danville-based relief agency has mobilized to help the beleaguered state.

In preparation for the storm, volunteers from God’s Pit Crew loaded three tractor-trailers with relief supplies. They will be dispatched to the area hardest hit by the Category 4 storm.

God’s Pit Crew is sending bottled water, Gatorade, water, disinfecting wipes and  buckets filled with food, personal hygiene items and a Bible.

Founder and crew chief Randy Johnson said the agency is “praying for the people of Louisiana who have faced so much heartbreak over the past two years from major hurricanes, floods and the recent winter storm. We are thankful to be able to provide supplies and Blessing Buckets to the survivors.”

Hurricane Ida rapidly grew in strength early Sunday, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane just hours before hitting the Louisiana coast as emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees amid the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

The Danville agency recently provided assistance to disaster victims in Waverly, Tennessee and Canton, North Carolina, as well as to the people of Haiti.