Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization

 

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LTRC meets, looks at recovery from future disastrous events

Thursday, February 26, 2009 ~ Updated 11:57 AM
George Anderson

 

(Photo)
 
Representatives from local organizations met on Wednesday morning to discuss services they could provide to a Long Term Recovery Committee.

Staff photo by George Anderson


Representatives from local organizations gathered at the First Presbyterian Church's Activity Center on Wednesday morning to discuss services they could potentially provide to area residents as part of a Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC).

The meeting was headed up by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Representative Cheryl Brekke and Mike Milan, of University of Missouri Extension.

Attending Wednesday's meetings were Sister Louise Benecke, of Migrant Whole Health Outreach (MWHO); Tommie Brown, of Bootheel Area Independent Living Services (BAILS); Lori Telgan, of Kennett Community Teachers' Association (KCTA); John Prince, Cardwell, Mo., mayor; the Rev. Jocelyn VanBuskirk, of the FEMA Board; Will Johnson, Sr., of Lighthouse Church/Kids College; Karen Hunter, of the Dunklin County Health Department; Rebecca Estes, of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA); Sister Carol Prenger, of St. Cecilia's Catholic Parish; Jim Medlock, of Family Counseling Center, Inc.; Darla Young, of Family Services Division; Noma Odum and Rhonda White, of Visiting Nurse Association; Angela Filmore, of University of Missouri Extension; and Emily Modlin, of Dunklin County Caring Counsel.

Also in attendance were representatives from AmeriCorps of St. Louis and various local churches.

The meeting started as everyone in attendance introduced themselves and the agency they were representing.

Following introductions, Milam passed out a commitment statement which said the Dunklin County LTRC has been organized by local organizations in recognition that it will take the collective and collaborative resources of public, private, voluntary and faith-based segments of the region to effectively and compassionately respond to the immediate and long-term needs of families and individuals impacted by disaster.

The LTRC is not only looking at recovery from the recent ice storm, but recovery from future events as well.

After the commitment statement was handed out, the agencies in attendance discussed various services they could offer, as well as services they provided during the recent ice storm.

Some of those services include transportation, medical supplies, food services and safety, translation services, food stamp and WIC reimbursement, debris removal, counseling, and more.

The next LTRC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, at which time the committee will elect a chairman, co-chairman, secretary, and treasurer. The group will also look over the long-term recovery manual and discuss case management.

 


 
 

 
   

Left:  The Festival of Sharing Gooseneck is loaded to capacity at Hamilton Christian Church. 

Right:  The Southwest Missouri Long Term Recovery Committee meets, at the Mt. Vernon Fire House.

 
   
 

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.

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