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(photo credit: Susan Hughes)
As a ministry that responds to disasters, people often wonder what happens when there are no active responses. One answer is that “blue sky” times are when we train volunteers and churches to serve. But those are also great times to develop relationships with the agencies that we serve alongside. One of the key principles for Impact Disaster Response is that we do not self-deploy. We go when and where we are invited, which means we need to establish strong relationships with the partners who will need us. During a disaster is not the time to introduce ourselves – we need to already know them, and we need to develop trust with them so they know that if they call us we will be there. This May, we had an opportunity to participate in the Virginia Emergency Management System annual exercise, providing lunch and meeting with agencies involved, giving them a look at how we respond and letting us see how we can all work together. When the next disaster comes to Virginia, those emergency management leaders will know they can count on us for whatever they need us to do.
On August 21, we have a new opportunity to deepen those relationships and explore both how churches and individuals can serve their communities and how the emergency management community can support churches. Impact Missions is co-sponsoring the first summit of the Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA) Faith-Based Caucus at First Baptist Church in Waynesboro. This event will be a chance for faith communities and emergency management leaders to gather, learn how to serve together, and learn how each can benefit from a deeper relationship. Churches will learn about security assessments and other security training that is available to them at no cost, along with information about the Nonprofit Security Grant that is available to houses of worship who apply. They will also learn how to connect with their local emergency management leaders so they can be a resource to their community in times of need. Impact Disaster Response will prepare the lunch for the event, so volunteers will be able to receive hands-on training on the type of feeding unit we deploy after a storm. The event will end with a time for people from each region to gather and begin establishing the relationships that will help them serve together if a disaster strikes their own community.
To learn about the wealth of resources available to your church and the ways you can serve your community and throughout the state, register for the Summit by clicking the save the date image below.
Volunteers willing to prepare lunch during the hands-on training can register using the SignUpGenius link:
