Issue #31 | September 2015
A Note from The Team
Hi all!
Happy National Preparedness Month! Despite thinking about disasters day in and day out, we're like most other folks and aren't as prepared as we probably should be. Small steps help! Katie is going to build back up her emergency cash supply over the next few paychecks; Sara is purchasing additional supplies including a headlamp, non-perishable food and first aid items for her emergency kit; and Lura is finally setting up the cloud storage backup for her computer and phone that she's intended to do for months. For information on individual and family preparedness kits, check out our resource library piece or ready.gov for more information and tips.
We also have fliers for National Preparedness Month that can be shared via social media or printed out and inserted into bulletins at your church on our website.
Thank you for all you do!
Katie, Lura and Sara
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Response Program Update: Hurricane Sandy Almost Three Years Later
By Lura Steele, Training Coordinator
This August, I drove to the former seafood capital of the world - Crisfield, Maryland - to meet Joe Pinto. Joe is a long-time resident of Crisfield, a retired government employee and a lay member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, but his work in disaster recovery had come as a surprise.
When Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29, 2012, a five-foot wall of water washed into downtown Crisfield. Joe remembered looking out and seeing whitecaps outside of his living room window. Thankfully, he and his neighbors were physically safe, but for a town still struggling to regain economic momentum after the 2008 recession, the storm was devastating. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged in the 2,700-population town. People were shaken. Shortly after the storm, The Rt. Rev. James J. Shand, Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Easton during Hurricane Sandy, called Joe to see if he would help oversee the recovery effort for the Diocese of Easton in partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development. Joe hesitated, wondering what the recovery process would actually entail, but he took the job. Over the next couple of years, Joe worked with the Diocese of Easton's Diocesan Disaster Team and organizations on Crisifield's Long Term Recovery Committee to help rebuild his town.
 Joe Pinto speaking to a group of volunteers in Crisfield, MD.
Nearly three years after the superstorm, the Long Term Recovery Committee rebuilt or repaired over 300 homes, and members of local Episcopal churches helped feed many more survivors and volunteers.
Those involved in the recovery effort were honored at a banquet hosted by Mayor Percy Purnell this August. Joe and I, along with eight other Episcopalians, attended the event. During the closing benediction, a Lutheran pastor observed that Hurricane Sandy washed open the doors of Crisfielders' homes. Suddenly, residents had to confront the issues of poverty, addiction and personal struggles that had been hiding behind closed doors, and the community has grown together over the past three years as a result. Crisfield's Long Term Recovery Committee will continue as a registered 501(c)(3), shifting its focus from recovery to community vitality.
Diocesan Disaster Coordinator Dr. Jim Cockey, Joe Pinto, Fr. Michael Lokey and Lura Steele at Crisfield's recovery banquet.
The Episcopal Diocese of New York's Hurricane Sandy rebuild program in Staten Island will also close this year. The recovery work in the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey continues.
The recovery process has lasted long, long after Hurricane Sandy fell out of the headlines. I know that several times in the past year I have gone out with friends, and they look startled to learn that years after the storm our program partners along the East Coast are still working to help people find their "new normal." Please join me in extending a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the people who have and continue to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Their enduring efforts to restore communities to wholeness help us all to see Christ's gentle and persistent love in the world.
Success Story: Supporting First Responders During a Local Emergency
On July 21, Bruce Barnes received a call from his Senior Warden stating that a building near Church of the Redeemer in Pendleton, Oregon, had exploded and was on fire. This was the moment that the hard work of his congregation's Disaster Team paid off. Bruce sprang into action, and with the help of his team, opened a cooling shelter for first responders. Redeemer's planning process made it possible to work through a few minor hiccups and support County Emergency Management Services during the fire.
Here Bruce reflects on how his team responded and the importance of disaster preparedness.
Emergency Update: California Fires
Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting relief in response to the fires that have caused widespread evacuations and major damage in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California. The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California is partnering with Episcopal Relief & Development to assist Northern California communities suffering due to fires. Financial support from Episcopal Relief & Development brings additional resources to the local level, expanding the ministry of our congregations. With these donations, we will help provide increased bilingual communication resources, pastoral care and increased support for ministry outreach initiatives, such as local food closets and thrift stores. Katie Mears, Director of US Disaster Preparedness and Response for Episcopal Relief & Development, has been assisting our diocese with outreach to lay and clergy leaders working on the ground near the fires, and assessing the needs in these areas. Elaine Clements, Diocesan Disaster Coordinator for The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and a member of Episcopal Relief & Development's Partners in Response Team, has contacted clergy and lay leaders from each congregation working in evacuation centers and high-risk areas. Elaine is an experienced disaster coordinator who has worked on relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina for the last 10 years. "The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California has been a strong supporter of Episcopal Relief & Development for a long time," shares Bishop Barry Beisner. "We have celebrated its wonderful worldwide work. Now, in our time of need, we have become the beneficiaries of that work. We now see [Episcopal Relief & Development's] legendary effectiveness first-hand. This assistance enables us to respond with more effective compassion and generosity. [This organization] equips our prayers for action, and we are deeply grateful." An outpouring of support, prayers and funds are being showered on our diocese from across the state, country and the world. We are so grateful. This recovery will take a long time. To continue to contribute to these efforts, please consider a donation to the Bishop's Discretionary Fund or to Episcopal Relief & Development. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development's US Disaster Fund will support fire response efforts in the Diocese of Northern California and disaster relief and recovery around the United States. Please pray for those fleeing and fighting the fires in California.
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Join "Ready to Serve":
Sign up here to offer your services to your vulnerable neighbors after a disaster.
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Episcopal Relief & Development-supported Projects:
Disaster Response:
Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
The Diocese of Northern California is responding to the needs of evacuees after deadly wildfires have displaced thousands of people and burned hundreds of homes, through a gift card ministry, housing assistance and spiritual care for affected persons.
The Episcopal Church in Navajoland
Due to a dam burst near the Animas River causing the water supply to become contaminated, The Episcopal Church in Navajoland is responding to those affected by providing water to the community near Buff, Utah.
Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas
The Diocese of Arkansas is providing financial, emotional and spiritual aid by identifying and caring for underserved populations affected by the April 2014 tornadoes.
Episcopal Diocese of Colorado
The Diocese of Colorado is helping people recover following flooding that swept the state's Front Range in the fall of 2013 through direct assistance, long-term recovery groups and a "Year of Resilience."
Episcopal Church in Connecticut
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut is supporting Ben's Lighthouse, a ministry of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, to promote the long-term mental health of the community's children, youth and families and to nurture a culture of non-violence and caring.
Episcopal Diocese of Easton
The Diocese of Easton is hosting volunteer groups to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy and construct new ones where existing homes cannot be repaired.
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Diocese of New Jersey is aiding vulnerable individuals and communities by providing direct assistance, partnering with various long term recovery groups and working with parish-based programs following Hurricane Sandy.
Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma
The Diocese of Oklahoma is working with congregations and long-term recovery groups around the state to meet the needs of vulnerable people following tornados in the spring of 2013.
Resources for Disaster Preparedness and Response:
Visit Episcopal Relief & Development's online Resource Library for numerous case studies and best practices in disaster response at the diocesan and congregational level.
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Contact Us:
Katie Mears,
Program Director
Lura Steele,
Training Coordinator
Sara Lowery,
Program Associate
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