Disaster Response Services

Mission Statement

• To show God’s love and bring hope to disaster-impacted communities in North America by restoring the homes and lives of those who are most vulnerable,

• To help communities build their capacity to prepare for and recover from disaster, and,

• To provide opportunities for Christians to honor the Lord by using their time, talents and financial resources in service to others.

World Renew DRS carries out its mission through services at every stage of recovery, in partnership with other organizations and volunteers.

Services

World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) responds to disasters in a variety of ways. These include the following and are made possible by volunteers. 

• Early Assessment - In the days and weeks immediately following a disaster, trained volunteers provide spiritual care to survivors, network with other responding organizations and gather information that will be used to plan longer term support.

• Rapid Response - This phase of DRS' response addresses the clean-up needs through trained volunteers by mucking out flooded homes, removing downed trees and completing minor repairs after a disaster, especially covering roofs to protect homes from the elements.

• Unmet Needs assessment - An Unmet Needs Assessment is the process of conducting a community survey to identify those with unmet needs, generally several months after a disaster when the local recovery group is operational and most homeowners know the financial assistance they will be receiving from insurance and the government. This information is then used by the local recovery group to respond to and meet the needs of those in their community.

• Organizational Capacity Building - This phase of DRS' response provides training and guidance to local recovery groups, equipping them to expand their ability to help disaster survivors over the long term.

• Reconstruction - When a relationship is built with a local recovery group to such a degree that DRS is invited to set up a long-term reconstruction site, a contract is signed and DRS sends continuous teams of skilled construction volunteers to repair and rebuild homes.

• Group Mission Trips - Groups of volunteers from churches, schools, families or businesses work with a local recovery group in a disaster affected area doing work from cleanup to reconstruction.

• Community Development Consultation - Helping local recovery organizations move from disaster response to addressing the long-term needs of their community is the last phase of DRS's work.

• Construction Estimating - Trained volunteers make personal visits to homes to determine appropriate materials, skills and time required for repair and construction. This information is then provided to the local recovery group to use for planning the recovery process. 

World Renew DRS works in partnership with the National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disasters (National VOAD) and Church World Service (CWS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Periodically, stories of our activities may be seen on the Disaster News Network (DNN).

For Churches

DRS Sunday

Find how your church can support disaster survivors. Visit worldrenew.net/drssunday to learn more.

Disaster Preparedness

If a tornado came through your town on a Wednesday night, does your church have a plan for the groups that might be meeting at church that night? Are important documents in a safe place in the event of a flood? Visit worldrenew.net/prepare-disasters for a step-by-step develop a disaster preparedness plan for your church. 

Activities This Month

A summary of planned activities for March 2018.

CANADA

British Columbia

Regional managers continue to explore possible response activities to the 2017 fires.

Ontario

Regional managers are monitoring the situation after flooding in Brantford, Six Nations Reserve, Thamesford, and Chatham.

UNITED STATES

California

Regional managers continue to connect with the fire recovery situations in the northern and southern parts of the state to determine how World Renew can best assist. There are two one-week groups, from California and Michigan, in Lake County and Yosemite this month.

Florida

In response to Hurricane Irma, regional managers continue to meet with recovering communities. A needs assessment is taking place in Key Largo this month in response to Hurricane Irma. Several other counties are requesting/interested in needs assessments, estimators, and reconstruction. There is a one-week group from Virginia repairing homes in Citrus County.

Illinois

Regional managers are monitoring the situation after the Iroquois and Kankakee Rivers flooded recently.

Indiana

Regional managers are monitoring the flooding situation in South Bend.

Louisiana

Volunteers at the DRS-managed site in Hammond continue to repair homes damaged by 2016 flooding.

Michigan

Regional managers are monitoring the situation after recent flooding.

Mississippi

There are two one-week groups from Ontario repairing homes in Hattiesburg. These homes were damaged by flooding in 2016.

Missouri

Regional managers are monitoring the aftermath of a tornado that hit Malden, as well as flooding along the Mississippi River.

Montana

Regional managers are monitoring the situation after major snow and heavy winds hit areas of the state.

New England States

Regional managers continue to monitor the situation after the recent heavy snowfall.

North Carolina

Home repair work continues at the DRS-managed site in Tarboro, a response to Hurricane Matthew, October 2016. There is a one-week group from Ontario repairing homes Washington this month.

Ohio

Regional managers are monitoring the situation after recent flooding.

Puerto Rico

The next volunteer team will be in Puerto Rico in April doing home repairs and reconstruction in response to the hurricanes.

South Carolina

Home repairs at the DRS-facilitated site in Manning continue; this is in response to 2015 flooding. There are six one-week groups from Indiana, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Iowa serving in Manning this month.

Texas

In response to Hurricane Harvey, regional managers continue to meet with recovering communities. Several counties are interested in/requesting needs assessments, estimators, and long-term reconstruction sites. Building estimators will be in the Coastal Bend region this month. Five one-week groups are repairing Harvey-damaged homes in Port Arthur through the DRS-facilitated site there. Eight one-week groups are also serving in Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Houston, and Webster. These groups are coming from 10 different states. Work continues at the DRS-managed reconstruction sites in San Marcos and Rio Grande Valley; both are in response to 2015 flooding.

West Virginia

Two one-week groups, from Illinois and Michigan, are repairing homes in Rainelle and Webster County this month. This is in response to 2016 flooding.