STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
serving our neighbors in times of disaster Dear Disciples, In its first days in office, the administration issued Executive Order 14180 calling for an examination of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The executive order also calls for the formation of a FEMA Review Council that has recently issued a Request for Information from the public to gain a better understanding of their experiences with FEMA during disasters. These comments will help ensure that the FEMA Review Council’s findings and recommendations for potential reforms are informed by a wide range of perspectives and experiences across multiple disasters. Week of Compassion encourages all Disciples who have directly engaged with FEMA, have been involved in disaster response and recovery, or simply have concerns about the future of FEMA operations and programs, to share feedback. Public comment is due by May 15. While Week of Compassion does not directly receive funding through federal programs, we rely on a vast network of collaboration to implement our disaster recovery work that includes both public and private nonprofit partners, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) playing a critical role. In our interactions with individual survivors, churches, and communities, we have witnessed the importance of FEMA programs as a piece of the recovery puzzle. In addition to encouraging survivors to apply for aid through FEMA, we rely on the data FEMA collects to better understand the context and scope of disasters to guide affected communities in their recovery efforts. Many of the survivors Week of Compassion has worked with have received serious needs assistance (rapid cash grants immediately following disasters), home repair grants, and temporary housing through FEMA – whether rental assistance or mobile housing units – while rebuilding their homes. Multiple Disciples congregations have benefitted from Public Assistance grants for the repair of their church buildings; when Hurricane Harvey inundated Cypress Creek Christian Church in Spring, TX with several feet of water, FEMA permanent repairs grants helped make up the gap after they maxed out their insurance. Beyond funding, the technical support and information FEMA staff provides to communities and disaster recovery organizations is invaluable. We know FEMA is not a perfect system, as no system is ever perfect. Over the years, Week of Compassion has joined with partners to advocate for various reforms to help get resources to survivors more quickly and equitably. More reforms are certainly needed. Yet FEMA is a vital part of our nation's disaster response and recovery efforts, and undercutting it addresses none of the challenges. Making significant cuts and realignments to FEMA beyond what has already been done and suggested by the Secretary of Homeland Security, will lead to further inefficiencies, confusion, and worse recovery outcomes for communities across the nation. As this article describes, dismantling our federal disaster response in favor of shifting those responsibilities to the states will have a disproportionate effect on certain states. Such changes would force all states to retool their budgets to make up the difference in funding for disaster response – or choose to go without, potentially leaving millions of people at risk of significant harm. To that end, Week of Compassion is making the following recommendations to the request for public comment, and encourages Disciples to add their voices to the public comments as soon as possible (by May 15):
As people of faith, called to love and serve our neighbors, we urge you to submit your comments to DHS and to send your comments to your senators and representatives today. Urge them to protect and strengthen FEMA, not dismantle it. We need federal systems that serve all people, especially those most at risk. FEMA is a crucial part of that support. We give thanks for all the ways Disciples show care and concern for their neighbors affected by disaster. Week of Compassion is committed to continuing our work to support congregations and communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters in ways that are just, equitable, and sustainable. With gratitude and hope,  Rev. Vy Nguyen
Executive Director Week of Compassion Comments are closed.
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