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Domestic Disaster Response and Preparedness Program
For decades, Episcopal Relief and Development has been helping dioceses and churches respond to the needs in their communities in the aftermath of disasters. But as September 11 and Hurricane Katrina proved, it is vitally important that dioceses and churches act quickly and appropriately when catastrophes strike, while understanding how to meet the long-term recovery needs of individuals, families, and communities.
Hurricane Katrina has highlighted a painful truth: Americans are more vulnerable to nature’s devastation than we believed. Visit the Katrina Recovery Center regularly to stay up-to-date on ERD’s response.
What we do: Equip and train the Episcopal Church at the local level
Episcopal Relief and Development’s Domestic Disaster Response and Preparedness Program is designed to ensure the Episcopal Church is well prepared and equipped to serve communities in the wake of disasters.
The program has two main goals:
• To equip dioceses and parishes to protect their facilities and people, so that they can be ready to act in their communities when disasters hit.
• To train dioceses and parishes to effectively deliver relief (food, water, shelter) in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and provide long-term recovery assistance in cooperation with other local entities.
How we do it: The US Disaster Response Team
One person, one church, one diocese cannot accomplish much on their own—but when linked together with others who also want to make a difference, the impact is tremendous.
Episcopal Relief and Development’s Domestic Disaster Response Team brings together volunteers with skills, experience, and expertise in key areas, such as emergency services, facilities management, distribution, and chaplain services. Along with their experience, they need another important quality – a heart to help.
Episcopal Relief and Development’s goal is to have a minimum of one person from each diocese who will establish and train a team. Each diocesan team will focus on equipping parishes to protect their facilities and people, while preparing them to effectively work with other local entities when disasters strike. These diocesan teams will be trained and networked so that they can plug in locally where they can best serve to enhance community response without duplicating efforts.
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