06 – How Your Church Can Help Following a Disaster
Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance
It is vital for congregations to think about how they might help those impacted by a disaster before the disaster happens. This allows the congregation to plan procedures and gather resources to help with disaster relief efforts. A congregation should consider forming a Disaster Response Team to think through and plan for the congregation’s response to a disaster situation. The following information will help guide the congregation’s disaster response.
Important Questions to Ask
Immediately following a disaster, it’s important to gather accurate information. Local law enforcement and other first responders and governmental disaster response agencies (FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) can be good sources of information.
The following questions can be helpful:
- What areas have been affected?
- Is it safe to remain in those areas?
- Who has been affected? Who lives and works there?
- Have any members of the congregation been injured or killed? Have any of their homes been damaged or destroyed?
- Has the disaster affected the water and food supply?
- Is additional shelter necessary?
- Have hospitals, pharmacies, doctors’ offices, or other healthcare infrastructure been compromised?
- Will homebound residents be without oxygen, medication, or other needed medical supplies?
- What are the unmet and underserved needs of the community?
Ideas for Congregational Response
Everyone, no matter their age or ability, can help with the congregation’s response to disaster. God has gifted his people with many talents and abilities. Sitting with someone who is hurting and providing a listening ear can be just as important as chain sawing downed trees, clearing debris from a neighbor’s yard, or mucking out a flooded basement.
Here are ten ways your congregation can provide aid following a disaster:
1. Pray.
Prayer is desperately needed in times of disaster. The Holy Scriptures tell us that the “prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Our compassionate God hears and answers the prayers of his people. Ask members of your congregation to pray for Christ’s mercy and wisdom. Pray for protection for first responders and all helping with disaster relief. Pray for the health and well-being of those who have lost property and perhaps even loved ones. Involve elderly and homebound members who are unable to run a chainsaw or muck out a basement. These seasoned believers are often well equipped to pray for Christ’s mercy and will do so faithfully.
2. Reach out and assess needs.
Once authorities have stated that it is safe to enter the area of disaster, select individuals to go in and assess the needs. A general assessment form can be found in the appendices of this manual. When it comes time to sit down and decide how best to help the community, these assessment trips will be invaluable. Please note that it is crucial that a congregation provides assistance based on what the community has said is needed rather than what the congregation thinks is needed.
3. Offer pastoral care.
This does not mean that the pastor is the only one who will be offering spiritual care. Ask a group of elders or other spiritually mature members to provide spiritual support to those impacted by a disaster. This will involve listening to their experiences, sharing the comfort of God’s Word with them, and praying with them. If church facilities are usable, the pastor may want to invite the community to a brief devotion or prayer service. Provide training to those who will serve on the pastoral care team. (Note: Those who have attended our basic training seminar have received such training.)
4. Be hospitable.
Form a group that can take food and clothing to survivors. It is important to provide meals where the survivors are located. People who have just been through a significant disaster event don’t want to travel five miles for a meal! Consider setting up a meal-serving station in or near the impacted neighborhood with grills, coolers, tables, etc. Perhaps some shade shelters could be set up to provide protection from rain and sun. Try to make the meals quick, easy, healthy, and filling so that people can get back to work quickly and have the energy to continue the task of sorting through their homes and belongings. Provide some granola bars, fruit, nuts, or other snacks that people can take with them.
5. Provide needed items.
Many items will be needed to bring aid and comfort to those who have survived the disaster. Food, bottled water, blankets, medical supplies, and other necessities can all be collected. However, usually the best donation following a disaster is a gift of money. Often donations of clothing and food end up being the “junk” that people don’t want any more rather than quality items that will serve the needs of survivors. Nothing lowers the morale of those who have just been through a disaster than receiving such “gifts.” Consider the purchase of gift cards (or prepaid debit or credit cards) that can be used at local merchants for purchasing food, clothing, personal, items, school supplies, etc. Such donations really make a difference for those who have been through a disaster by giving them the ability to purchase what they really need. This also can help to renew their sense of pride and self-worth, something that disaster survivors often struggle with. If the congregation has a strong desire to gather specific donations (blankets, warm coats, etc.), make sure the items are needed and of good quality. Also make sure that you have a clear plan for transportation and distribution of the items.
6. Provide temporary shelter.
You can prepare temporary lodging in a sanctuary, classroom, gymnasium, or other church facility. Make sure you have adequate bathroom and kitchen facilities for the number of people you plan to shelter. Purchasing some cots and sleeping bags can also be helpful. It’s probably a good idea to have responsible church members work in shifts of two to help with the needs of those being sheltered and to provide security. Use common sense. For more information, check out the Sheltering Handbook published by the American Red Cross [Sheltering Handbook (crcog.org)].
7. Help with salvage work.
Following a disaster, many survivors try to salvage all that they can from their destroyed home. What looks like trash to most can be a true treasure for them—scraps of letters, torn photos, broken dishes, etc. It is always a good idea to aid a homeowner who is going through his property. However, realize that this is a very personal act that is often filled with emotion. Only the homeowner can identify what is trash and what is treasure. So, be sure to confer with the homeowner before throwing anything away. What may seem like useless trash to us may have great personal, sentimental, or financial value to the homeowner.
8. Provide transportation.
Disaster survivors want to resume normal life—going to work, stopping at the store, etc.—as soon as possible. However, sometimes their vehicles are damaged, destroyed, or inaccessible. You might consider letting a disaster survivor borrow an extra vehicle so he or she can go to work and continue earning a paycheck. Or find individuals willing to drive people to work, the store, school, doctors’ appointments, etc. Retirees often have the flexibility in their schedules to provide this service. Be sure that loaned vehicles are in good repair and insured. Drivers should also carry insurance.
9. Provide daycare/babysitting.
It is wise to check local government rules and regulations for operating a daycare, but providing assistance with children following a disaster can be vital. It is simply not safe for small children to be around disasters. In addition, it’s hard on parents who want to give their attention to clearing debris and salvaging items from their homes when they also have to care for little ones. This is especially true of single-parent families. Consider providing a daycare or babysitting service free of charge. Retired members, teens, and others could be involved. You could even provide VBS-style crafts and stories for the kids. This will allow parents to work on their home or do other chores like replacing driver’s licenses and credit cards or simply making a trip to the bank.
10. Offer computer/internet access.
Today so many functions of life, such as paying bills and other financial transactions, are conducted online. During a disaster event, the loss of electricity, internet, or other basic infrastructure in impacted areas can make computer access difficult or impossible. If your church or school has electricity and functioning internet service, consider setting up a couple of computers for community use. An IT professional or technology-savvy person in your congregation can help you do this. Obviously, you will want to take steps to make sure that online safety and security is a priority for both the congregation and the computer users. Provide clear instructions for how to properly log in and log out. Keep it classy by giving users privacy while they are online. You might even provide cold drinks, hot coffee, and other snacks to make them more comfortable. Show them that you care!
