Adapted and revised from a UMCOR story

In the weeks after a disaster of Hurricane Katrina?s magnitude, there remains a state of emergency. Communication with the affected areas is difficult and details continue to be uncertain. But even as the official rescue efforts are occurring, UMCOR is engaged in planning and strategizing for long-term recovery.

UMCOR Disaster Response executive Tom Hazelwood traveled to Jackson, Miss., to tour the coastal areas with Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and to initialize the Mississippi Annual Conference?s disaster response efforts. UMCOR consultants were deployed to the Louisiana and Alabama-West Florida annual conferences undertake the same tasks there. Alabama-West Florida reports that the damage in Alabama from Hurricane Katrina is much more severe than from Hurricane Ivan last year. This compounds the damage in those areas which have not fully recovered from Ivan.

UMCOR sees disaster response as a three-stage process. The current emergency rescue phase may end up lasting several weeks as rescue efforts, evacuation and infrastructure repair are carried out by official agencies.

In the second phase, the relief phase, assistance is provided to residents who need to 'muck out' their homes, assess damage, receive emotional and spiritual care, and begin their long road to recovery. During this time local churches are very active, providing shelters and support for individuals, families and communities.

The third phase, long-term recovery, involves a holistic approach to people who have suffered losses. It covers everything from seeking them out in their neighborhoods to provide information, referrals and advocacy about their rights to federal and state disaster assistance. UMCOR coordinates with other religious bodies and community service agencies to participate in repairing and rebuilding homes and providing assistance with living expenses and other needs.

'This is an anxious time for all of us because we are awaiting word from those we care about,? said UMCOR executive Kristin Sachen. ?But we wait with hope in our hearts and with our hands and minds engaged in preparation for the right time for us to act on the scene.'

UMCOR is committed to helping the most vulnerable people affected by this hurricane, including those overlooked by other agencies and those whose profound needs are not yet fully apparent. 'We will bring our years or experience, our capable volunteers and our creativity to the rebuilding of these communities,? said Sachen.