Following the Missouri Tornados of 2003

People of Faith
Who Have Cared About Their Neighbors.
…for God Loveth a Cheerful Giver—II Corinthians 9:7.

Truly, people of faith care about their neighbors. The following individuals and groups have expressed that care in practical ways and with cheerful hearts. The faith groups who coordinate their disaster response efforts through the Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization (MIDRO) wish to express our heartfelt thanks for all the help you have given:

Mission Work Teams from the following churches or organizations have coordinated their disaster volunteer work teams through MIDRO.

Asbury United Methodist Church of Springfield, MO
Community Christian Church (DOC) of Kansas City, MO
First Reformed Church of Waupun, WI
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Joplin, MO
First United Methodist Churches of Midlothian, TX and Marshalltown IA
Hope Reformed Church (RCA) of Parkersburg, IA Youth Group,
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, MI
Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lebanon, IN.
Polk City United Methodist Church of Polk city, IA
Hillsboro United Methodist Church of Hillsboro, MO
First Reformed Church of De Motte, IN.
Newhall Community Church of Wyoming, MI.
St. John UCC in Granite City Ill Senior High Youth Group
Trinity Lutheran Church of Unity, WI
Prairie Ridge Reformed Church of Ankenny, IA
Missouri Methodist Youth
Salem Reformed Church of Little Rock, IA
New McKendree United Methodist Church of Jackson, MO
Friedens UCC Youth Group of Marissa, IL.
First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis. MO
Chevalier Disaster Memorial Group, Bethany Lutheran Church, Batavia, IL
Valley Youth Network (Lutheran Group from Western Pennsylvania)
Memphis (TN) Conference UMC
Ebeneezer Reformed Church of Oregon, IL
Faith Reformed Church of Wyoming, MI
June 27 (Sunday) leave no later than noon on Friday, July 2
Salem United Church of Christ of Quincy, IL
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Peoria, IL
King’s Way United Methodist Church in Springfield, MO.
North Broadway United Methodist Church of Columbus Ohio.
Our Savior Lutheran Church of Neenah, WI
St. Luke Presbyterian Church of Amarillo, TX
First United Methodist Church of Maryville, MO.
Bridgeport, TX United Methodist Church
Archie United Methodist Church Youth of Archie, MO
Red Cloud United Methodist Church
Grace UMC Almogordo, New Mexico VIM team
East Sioux Classis Reformed Church in America of West Iowa.
First Reformed Church of Grandville, MI
Ferris State University,
Southwest Missouri State University Wesley Foundation
Peace United Church of Christ Hartsburg, MO
Shell Knob, MO United Methodist Church
Peace Lutheran Church of Holister, MO
Wisconsin United Methodist VIM team
Wellsburg Reformed Church, Wellsburg, IA
First Reformed in Rock Rapids, IA
First Reformed Church of Grandville, MI
Bethany Christian Reformed Church Clara City, MN
First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, IA. (Youth Groups)
First Reformed Church of Hospers, IA
Trinity Reformed Church of Allison, IA.
Hope Reformed Church in Parkersburg, IA.
Peace United Church of Christ of Hartsburg, MO
Vienna-Rader UMC, Vienna MO

The following denominations or state and national faith groups have made significant financial contributions to the interfaith efforts of MIDRO.

Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ
Lutheran Disaster Response
Missouri Conference, The United Methodist Church
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Week of Compassion, Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.

The following faith groups have made financial contributions to the survivors of the 2003 tornadoes in Missouri.

Church World Service
The United Methodist Committee on Relief
Lutheran Disaster Response
Catholic Charities of Kansas City and St. Joseph
The Catholic Diocese of Springfield and Cape Girardeau
The Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City
St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church of Camdenton, MO
Society of St. Vincent d’ Paul of Springfield and Cape Girardeau
The Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri
The Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The following individuals and local faith groups contributed to the interfaith efforts of MIDRO.

Peace United Church of Christ, Hartsburg, MO
Hartsburg Baptist Church, Hartsburg, MO
Kerry A. Rowland
Betty Kloostra
Immanuel United Methodist Church of Canton, MO.

Volunteer Mission Work Teams from the following churches or organizations also worked independently in debris clean-up and rebuilding efforts.

The St. Louis Family Church and Service International
The Missouri Baptist Convention
The Mennonite Churches

The following individuals or organizations gave to the Faith in Farmers effort.

Robert and Carol Schreiber
The Orscheln Foundation

MIDRO wishes to thank COIN

The Faith Community in Missouri
Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery  

When disaster strikes …
God cares for God’s creation. People of faith care about their neighbors. Especially in times of disaster, people of faith reach out to their neighbors with spiritual and practical help.

People impacted by and responding to a disaster look to the faith community to provide resources of caring, comfort, and support that the government and private agencies cannot provide.

Rescue and Relief Phase
Immediately following a disastrous event many faith groups act on their own initiative. Partnering with the American Red Cross and state and local government, these faith groups provide mass care and feeding, emergency shelter, child-care, debris removal, and other emergency services. Most of those groups communicate and coordinate with one another through Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MO VOAD) and the Governor’s Partnership for Disasters.

Long-term Recovery Phase
Groups whose ministry is in repair and rebuilding, mitigation, spiritual care, and community development bring their resources after immediate relief has been provided. Many of those faith groups work together nationally and internationally through Church World Service, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Disaster Response, Jewish World Service, and other national and international organizations.

It is during this long-term recovery phase that MIDRO, the Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization, contributes to the recovery effort. Responding to the needs and requests of local long-term recovery groups MIDRO enables local long-term recovery groups to make one contact to access the resources of multiple faith groups. MIDRO provides faith groups with one point of contact for all areas in Missouri requesting help from the faith community. MIDRO facilitates financial assistance between faith groups and local recovery groups and matches volunteer work crews with work-sites needing their skills at the times they are available.

Disaster Preparedness
Disasters will happen. Whether those are natural disasters—fires, floods, tornadoes, ice storms, etc, or human caused disasters, i.e. chemical spills, nuclear accidents, technological failures, or environmental contamination, they are certain to happen again. Unfortunately, we also need to prepare for the possibility of acts of war, terrorism, and mass murder. Many faith groups are involved in national efforts to prepare for these possibilities. In Missouri, local churches and other faith groups are encouraged to participate in their local Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD). MIDRO and other statewide faith based organizations will participate in MO VOAD and the Governor’s Partnership to encourage and participate in this planning and mitigation work. Resources for local churches and other faith groups to use in planning for their own members and communities are available from a variety of resources including the MU University Extension Fire and Rescue Training Institute, National VOAD, the State Emergency Management Agency, MIDRO, and many of the participating faith groups.

MIDRO HISTORY

Begun in 1993 as the Interfaith Disaster Response Network, MIDRO has been active in large and small disasters since that time. At times, one or more persons have been hired as staff to facilitate and administer the work of the participating faith groups.

In response to the tornadoes and storms that struck Missouri in 2003, MIDRO hired the Rev. Bryan Crousore as Administrator from May 2003 until August 2004. Rev. Crousore served as the point of contact for local long-term recovery committees, state and national faith groups, and governmental and private agencies. This allowed needs and resources to be matched effectively and efficiently.