STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
National Preparedness Month 20259/8/2025 be aware & prepared, with plans, resources, networks & training September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) in the United States, and a good opportunity for congregations to consider ways to build or strengthen their capacity to better serve their communities during and after an emergency. In the work of disaster response, Week of Compassion witnesses the difference it makes to a church – and to the whole community – when individuals, families, and communities of faith start the conversation, and take steps to be prepared. NPM was launched by FEMA's Ready Campaign in 2004 as a way to encourage individuals and communities to "prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks."
NPM culminates on September 30 as a nationwide day of action. The 2025 National Preparedness Month theme is "Preparedness Starts at Home." For many years, Week of Compassion has encouraged Disciples to get our members and churches prepared, so that we are better able to serve others. While disasters have been around for all of human existence, increasing population, aging infrastructure, and climate change continue to intensify disasters and the impact they have on us. Now, in the U.S., we add funding cuts enacted by the current administration to this list of complicating factors. These cuts affect vital research and resources that aid in preparedness and response. Agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have already been impacted.
Vulnerable communities will bear the brunt of these cuts, experiencing longer response times and fewer recovery resources when disasters strike. In this moment – when the needs feel immense and the gaps overwhelming – the call to love and care for one another intensifies. The mission remains the same: to love our neighbor, to show up, to care, to be the network. This will require more conversations, more connections, clearer inventories of gifts and assets, and even more creative approaches to the way we prepare for disaster. Our “at home” preparedness is more important now than ever. NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH Faith & Technology: A Powerful Partnership Technology can be an incredible asset in community preparedness. One powerful tool is the Disasters and Religions App, developed by New York Disaster Interfaith Services, designed to help faith communities contribute meaningfully to emergency response efforts. This app provides resources to help organizations plan for hosting shelters, supporting children through trauma, and responding to active shooter events or disease outbreaks. The app also features “nearly 400 prayers from 24 religious traditions, organized around 16 life-event and crisis-relevant themes including healing, death, birth, hope and mealtime blessings. Many of these prayers are presented in English and Spanish alongside their original prayer languages, supporting multilingual care delivery.” The American Red Cross also has helpful mobile apps that include preparedness tools, customizable emergency and weather alerts, and interactive maps to help locate shelters. We'd love to hear your stories! How is your community coming together in creative and collaborative ways to prepare, support, and care for one another? Email us! NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH Learn & Serve IN-PERSON VOLUNTEERING The most beautiful way of loving our neighbor is by being present. Volunteering can make such a difference in the lives of individuals and communities that have been impacted by disaster. Recovery takes a long time and it is only possible when individuals come together to help. Our partnerships help us connect our volunteers with volunteering opportunities that best suit their needs. A single person can volunteer, and in many locations, the ideal group size is 4-6! Groups of all sizes can make a big difference for disaster survivors! + + + + + VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING Crisis Cleanup is a remote call center that connects survivors to cleanup assistance after a major disaster. Virtual volunteers are always needed. It only takes 4 easy steps to get set up to take calls anytime. This is another small way to be prepared to help. + + + + + TRAINING Week of Compassion will be hosting a Disaster Site Leader Training in early 2026 (January/February). This is a two-fold training that includes both online and in-person sessions. Pre-recorded modules for virtual sessions are available upon request. This training is meant to equip individuals with the tools and knowledge to help guide teams in home repair, hospitality and faithful conversations for volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a Disaster Site Leader and want to be notified of finalized details, please send us an email. + Week of Compassion partners with Children’s Disaster Services to provide respite childcare in disaster shelters and resource centers. Visit Week of Compassion's Trainings page for more information about participating in a training, including one in October at First Christian Church, Baton Rouge. To learn more about how this ministry shows up in times of need, check out this story. + New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) is offering two free online trainings:
For more information about Week of Compassion's ministry of domestic disaster response and congregational preparedness, including training, asset mapping, networks, and resources to download and engage your congregation: Comments are closed.
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