Disaster Response & Relief

Response

In the event of a disaster, affected congregations and regions are encouraged to contact the Disaster Preparedness & Response team. Upon invitation (or request) the Disaster Preparedness & Response team will travel to affected areas to assist with immediate response and serve as liaisons to Episcopal Relief and Development. If needed, they can also assist churches with the FEMA/SBA recovery process. 

Resources from Episcopal Relief & Development

Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program works in areas across the United States that have been affected by disasters, both in emergency responses and in long-term recovery programs. Local church partners are an integral part of the ministry of Episcopal Relief, because these relationships mean service on-the-ground happens before others arrive and stay with the community for the years of recovery that follow. Episcopal Relief offers an online resource library covering topics from the lifecycle of a disaster, to maintaining resilience during uncertain times, to prayers and bible study. 

Recovery

With years of personal experience, the Disaster Preparedness & Response team is prepared to help congregations assemble teams for mission trips. The Disaster Preparedness & Response team will help facilitate cross- and multi-congregational partnerships if an individual congregation has a group that is too small to serve on its own. 

Partners

National

State

Local

Congregations are encouraged to develop and maintain partnerships with their local volunteer agencies such as: 

Relief Mission Trip Resources

  • Use this checklist to help determine the focus of and preparation necessary for a disaster relief mission trip.
  • See this Initial Contact List for suggested initial points of contact in Alabama, Colorado, and North Dakota.
  • Ready to Serve is a volunteer database organized by Episcopal Relief and Development in order to quickly locate ready and willing volunteers in the event of a disaster.