Domestic Disaster Response & Preparedness
Photo: Craig Thompson, Disciple Design
When disasters strike, Week of Compassion is here to help:
before, during, and after.
* In order to protect volunteers and communities we serve during the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers should use caution, heed the guidance of public health officials, and pay close attention to protocols required before and while serving. All Week of Compassion volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before serving.
Week of Compassion offers resources and training opportunities to help congregations prepare for and respond to disasters. Immediately following disasters in the United States and Canada, Week of Compassion works through local congregations and regions to provide guidance, connections, and resources for navigating disaster response. We invest the majority of our disaster response resources in long-term recovery, primarily for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding homes. In coordination with Disciples and ecumenical partners, Week of Compassion also supports opportunities for Disciples to offer hands-on assistance.
Week of Compassion offers resources and training opportunities to help congregations prepare for and respond to disasters. Immediately following disasters in the United States and Canada, Week of Compassion works through local congregations and regions to provide guidance, connections, and resources for navigating disaster response. We invest the majority of our disaster response resources in long-term recovery, primarily for the purpose of repairing and rebuilding homes. In coordination with Disciples and ecumenical partners, Week of Compassion also supports opportunities for Disciples to offer hands-on assistance.
Learn more about our ongoing responses below.
You can also find volunteer opportunities or learn how to prepare for disasters.
You can also find volunteer opportunities or learn how to prepare for disasters.
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ONGOING RESPONSES
Hurricane Ian (2022) - Florida Hurricane Fiona (2022) - Puerto Rico Flooding (2022) - Missouri Flooding (2022) - Kentucky Tornado Outbreak (Dec 2021) * - Kentucky Hurricane Ida (2021) - Louisiana, Gulf Coast, East Coast West Coast Fires (2020) - California & Oregon Hurricanes Laura & Delta (2020) - Louisiana * Hurricane Florence (2018) - North Carolina* Hurricanes Irma & Maria (2017) - Puerto Rico Hurricane Harvey (2017) - Texas |
EMERGING RESPONSES
Week of Compassion is in conversation with local churches and partners in areas where disasters are ongoing or have recently occurred. As needs are emerging, we are assessing potential for response. Tornado (2023) - Texas Tornadoes (2023) - Alabama and Georgia Severe Storms/Flooding (2023) - California Earthquakes (2022) - California Wildfires (2022) - New Mexico and California Water Crisis (2022) - Jackson, Mississippi |
* volunteer opportunities available, with COVID-19 precautions
Hurricane Ida10/1/2021 2021 - Louisiana, Gulf Coast, East Coastupdated: 01/27/2023 On Aug 29 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in southeastern Louisiana, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands (some for weeks) and causing damage to thousands of homes. Several dozen Disciples households and churches were among those who sustained damage. Over 800,000 households registered for FEMA assistance in Louisiana alone. The storms continued to bring wind and heavy rain to multiple states as it tracked inland. The remnants of the storm dropped historic amounts of rain, especially, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, where Disciples congregations and members were again among those affected. - Federal Disaster Declarations: 4611-DR-LA, 4614-DR-NJ, 4615-DR-NY, 4618-DR-PA. Read more about how Disciples are invovled AND how you can help! HOW DISCIPLES ARE INVOLVED
Local Contacts: Local congregations, State VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), Indigenous Resilience Disaster Case Management Program Early Response: Week of Compassion provided assistance to and through local Disciples congregations, with solidarity grants for affected congregations and members and grants to support congregational relief efforts. Relief efforts included distribution of food, water, and essential supplies and the offering of church buildings as volunteer housing spaces. Week of Compassion staff also worked to connect local church leaders with resources and assistance information. Ongoing Engagement: We will continue to support the efforts of Disciples in the area and make recovery grants available to local recovery organizations. Additionally, we are working with the Lowlander Center and the First Peoples Conservation Council on an innovative initiative called the Indigenous Resilience Disaster Case Management Program to provide culturally appropriate recovery services and build local recovery capacity with five Indigenous Tribes in Southeast Louisiana. HOW TO HELP Volunteer: No volunteer opportunities coordinated at this time. Give to Week of Compassion: Designate Hurricanes Pray: Continue to pray for those affected by the hurricane and for our Week of Compassion partners. Advocate: Areas of important advocacy will include support for folks who were already economically unstable because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indigenous Tribes in Southeast Louisiana who are part of the IRDCMP are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change and historically have not had adequate access to disaster recovery resources; advocate for equitable and culturally appropriate disaster responses and sustainable responses to climate change. Comments are closed.
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