Church World Service Emerg Resp - Support for Alabama

7/27/11 Email from Bryan
In addition to school kits and clean-up buckets we can provide at any point in the response/relief/recovery continuum.
heavy wool blankets
light weight blankets, useful for temporary window curtains, room dividers, floor covering as well as blankets for personal use.
personal hygiene kits

Our long term training includes:
free monthly webinars on some aspect of long term recovery. details at www.cwserp.org
on-site training, including Recovery Tools and Training, First Steps toward Recovery, Emotional and Spiritual Care;
telephone or on-site consultation by an experienced Emergency Response Specialist for long term recovery committees for problem solving, organizing strategies, etc.
---------------------------------

6/13/11: Sent out to all VOADS:
Attached is preliminary draft of Church World Services (CWS) Recovery Tools and Training schedule. The training dates as of today are tentatively scheduled for JULY 7th in Huntsville, July 9th in Chattanooga, July 11th in Birmingham, July 13th in Thomasville, and July 15th in Tuscaloosa (locations TBD).

8:30 AM: Gathering and Registration

9:00 AM: Introductions and Welcome

9:30 AM: Long-term Recovery: (Bryan Crousore, Church World Service)
FEMA Sequence of Delivery (FEMA VAL)

11:30 PM: Lunch/Networking

12:00-1:45 PM: Break-out Sessions: (each participant chooses two sessions)
CAN: Coordinated Assistance Network
CRWRC: Community Needs Assessment
CWS: Finding Money, Muscle, and Material
FEMA: Individual Assistance/National Donations Management System
LDR: Construction Volunteers and Management
PDA: Emotional and Spiritual Care
UMCOR: Disaster Case Management

1:45-2:00 PM Break/Networking

2:00-3:45 Break-out Sessions repeated

3:45-4:30 Closing Plenary: Questions and Answers

6/7/11: Sent out to all VOADS:

Assistance for Disaster Affected Communities
Following a disaster event many communities find there is a long way to go to find a new normal in their communities. Church World Service has many offerings to help local faith and community leaders understand and carry out the tasks of long-term recovery.

Material Resources
CWS can provide important material resources to disaster affected communities. Emergency clean-up, baby care, personal hygiene and school kits are small packages of supplies assembled by volunteers. The contents have been selected with care based on decades of experience. Kits may be sent to CWS at any time to provide resources quickly whenever and wherever they are needed. For more information, go to www.churchworldservice.org.

Early Response and Sustainability Grants
Grants may be given to local, long-term groups to assist with the initial tasks of organizing and staffing or to sustain the effort over the long term. While many organizations are willing to finance direct aid to persons, CWS is unique in targeting its grants to organizational needs.

Recovery Tools and Training is a full day workshop lead by a CWS Disaster Response Specialist and other experts with information to assist long-term recovery groups to lead a community to a new normal. This workshop covers the full gamut of long term recovery needs, from forming a mission statement to when to close up shop.

First Steps is designed to help newly formed recovery groups know what to do in the organizing stage of development. This three hour, interactive workshop will focus on mission, bylaws, fiscal policies, organizational choices, and fund raising.

Webinar based training is offered on the first Tuesday of each month on an aspect of long term recovery. Three times each year, a six hour series, conducted over 2 days, address the basics of Long Term Recovery. For details and to register, go to www.cwserp.org.

Community Specific Training can be designed by community leaders and CWS Disaster Response Specialists. CWS does not have “cookie cutter” training and will design training on-site or webinar based to address identified needs.

Follow-up Mentoring and Continuing Education recognizes that no one workshop or curriculum can cover all aspects of long-term recovery or address every issue. CWS Disaster Specialists are available by phone, e-mail, webinar, or on-site to answer questions, provide guidance, and assist with unanticipated needs.

Community Arise is a curriculum in eight modules that was developed by some of the most experienced disaster responders in the nation. Interested persons can use some of these modules without an instructor; others are best used with leadership by a CWS Emergency Response Specialist or one of the participating communions. Access this curriculum at www.communityarise.com.

Projects to decrease vulnerability and increase resiliency for persons and communities experiencing vulnerability to disasters aim to increase the ability of those persons to recover from subsequent disaster events. When a resiliency need is identified, CWS will work with denominations and other organizations to find funding, material resources and personnel to carry out the identified project.

Church World Service was founded in 1946 and is the relief, development and refugee assistance ministry of 37 Christian communions in the United States. CWS works in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries. The CWS Emergency Response Program helps the faith community play its special role in disasters in the U.S. and around the world. The Domestic Disaster Division of CWS is composed of a team of Emergency Response Specialists in training and project development.

CWS is a national member of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and fully subscribes to the principles of cooperation, coordination, communication and collaboration. CWS ERP will work with participating denominations, ecumenical partners and others to avoid the duplication of services and fully utilize the existing expertise of local leaders.

The programs and services of CWS are available to all persons affected by a disaster. CWS is especially concerned to locate and serve persons who are especially vulnerable to disaster because of economic, ethnic, racial discrimination, age, social or other reasons. The ultimate goal of CWS is to help disaster affected persons and communities achieve recovery.

CWS is financially supported by contributions from the member communions and individual donors. CWS does not receive government dollars for the ERP program. Persons wishing to assist CWS financially can do so at www.churchworldservice.org

All services of CWS ERP can be accessed by contacting the CWS ERP at www.cwserp.org.
------------------------------------------

Per AlVOAD meeting, this group is helping with the 2011 Alabama Tornado Relief.

The Church World Service webinar series on "Long
Term Recovery Basics" is tomorrow and Wednesday. This series of 6 fifty minute
webinars covers all the basic information that people will need to organize or
participate in long term recovery in communities affected by disasters.

It would be very useful for pastors, mission committee persons, and others who
will be called upon to help their communities in the recovery.

People can register at www.cwserp.org for this free training.