Communication and coordination are the most powerful predictors of success in disaster response. Coordinated delivery of relief and recovery services prevents redundancy, saves money, minimizes disruption of services and improves outcomes.
The mission of the Congregational Disaster Readiness Initiative is to expedite relief and recovery in communities impacted by a disaster.
This program is a COMPREHENSIVE, COLLABORATIVE, and COHERENT (3C’s) action plan for congregations to effectively deliver essential relief and recovery services during and after a disaster, in partnership with and in support of responsible agencies.
Coordination of Relief and Recovery Efforts of Congregations Includes:
Communication Task-force:
Creating a multi-level, two-way communication platform to address a diversity of communication needs for alerting, recruiting, deploying and demobilizing response.
Sheltering
Short and long-term Red Cross sheltering and/or ride-out sheltering.
Laundry
Supporting shelters by helping survivors wash their clothes.
Medical Support
Assist with non-emergency assistance, such as picking up prescriptions or driving survivors to doctors’ office.
Pets
Help families to care for their pets (dogs and cats), providing kennels and food, while they are staying in a shelter.
Muck & Gut
Removing damaged contents and sanitizing the home, according to standards.
Compassionate Care / PreDCM
Trained caregivers provide emotional and spiritual care to survivors, serving as a listening ear, a calming presence, and laying the groundwork for Disaster Case Management, initiating documentation and reporting.
Chainsaw / Clean Up
Cutting up fallen trees and disposing of debris.
Supplies Distribution Center (supplying congregations)
Regional warehouse to supply congregations serving as a donation distribution centers.
Donations Distribution Center (supplying survivors)
Distribute essential supplies to survivors and maintaining a database of all survivors for follow-up.
Volunteer Coordination
Connecting volunteers with opportunities for service.
One of the keys to success will be our preparedness for the disaster.
Our teams need to be equipped to serve and be confident they can serve when called. Every team needs a playbook. A good playbook identifies the team leader(s), the team members, and their contact information. It identifies the training required for the team, their work methods, work standards, and the tools and supplies they will require. The playbook states where the team will gather and where they will serve. It includes a list of resources the team can call if they need help. In short, our teams must be equipped to serve with confidence.
Most disasters will not require a county-wide mobilization of all service teams.
The CDR will ask to mobilize only those service teams necessary to respond to the disaster given its geographic dimension and its nature. Communication will be multi-channel and persistent. Messages will be sent by voice, text, email, and through a smart phone app (multi-channel). The messages will be repeated until a response is received (persistent).
Most messages will require only a simple response.
For example:
Every team will have a clear understanding of how they will be mobilized, who they can call for help and how they will report their status.
(1) Express your interest in serving once details are available. (participation form or link below)
(2) Help serve on one or more of the service teams to establish service team qualifications, training materials, performance standards, and service expectations. (participation form or link below)
(3) Help communicate the need for Congregational Disaster Readiness.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS
FOR THEIR COLLABORATIVE PARTICIPATION!
The American Red Cross • SBP • The Salvation Army • Texas Gulf Coast VOAD
Interfaith Ministries and Volunteer Houston • Catholic Charities
Union Baptist Association • JFS - Houston • Presbytery of New Covenant
Texas Annual Conference - UMC • South Central Conference - UCC • ICNA Lutheran Disaster Relief - LCMS • Lutheran Disaster Response - ELCA
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
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