Disciple: Hurricane Response, Part II: A Post, a Conversation and a Change of Plans
By Diocesan House
Read Hurricane Response, Part I.
Meaningful collaborations can take many forms, as responses to Hurricane Florence recently proved. Inspiring post-storm stories of the human condition at its best are entirely too numerous to capture here, but we share three involving churches in the Diocese of North Carolina. Each partnership took a different form, but all carried a great deal of impact and meaning for those involved.
A POST: ST. PAUL’S, WINSTON-SALEM
It began with a Facebook post. The Rev. Nancy Vaders, deacon at St. Paul’s, Winston-Salem, knew parishioners would be anxious to contribute to hurricane relief after escaping the worst of Florence and knowing their neighbors to the east couldn’t say the same. So she turned to Facebook to see what she could learn about what was happening in the harder-hit areas, and as New Bern was on that list, she checked in on Christ Church, located on the Neuse River in the heart of the town. Amazingly, the church had come through the storm without damage, and within a day or two of it passing, church leaders had communicated with local shelters about the most-needed items in the area. The church created a wish list on Amazon so donated goods could be managed and shipped directly to Christ Church, which served as a distribution point.
Vaders knew her fellow deacon at Christ Church, the Rev. Lisa Kirby, so she reached out to her friend to learn more about the effort, and after hearing about its simplicity and efficiency, she knew this was something St. Paul’s parishioners would embrace. With the permission of the Rev. Paul Canady, rector of Christ Church, St. Paul’s became Christ Church’s partner in response, sharing widely the link to the Amazon wish list and encouraging all who received it to respond.
And respond they did.
“Parishioners loved the fact their donations were going to just the right place at the right time,” said Vaders. “It was seamless, and even though we weren’t there in person, we felt the connection with a parish that was meeting the needs of their neighbors. We loved being a part of that response.”
Vaders has no doubt this is only the start of the partnership between the two churches. “[This experience] reminded me how connected we are with each other,” she said, “and how relationships, even formed via a social media post, can turn into a real and tangible expression of God’s call for us to love our neighbors.”
Christ Church continues to assist their local community, and their wish list is still active.
CHRIST CHURCH, RALEIGH
In the days when it was still unclear exactly who throughout the state would be impacted, it was clear that no matter what the storm’s path, the eastern part of the state—including the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry (EFwM)—would not escape.
Knowing food and water would be of paramount importance to those living in the migrant worker camps, the Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple and the Rev. Jim Adams, rector of Christ Church, Raleigh, spoke days before the storm about creating a plan to respond to those needs as soon as the storm was through. Bringing in Liz Stroff, director of parish programs for Christ Church, and Lariza Garzón, brand-new executive director of EFwM, a plan was developed that would allow for quick organization and response.
First, a sign-up list for cooking and delivering meals was established using SignUp genius, an online tool useful in organizing volunteer groups. Next, in conversation with EFwM, an Amazon wish list was created of items expected to be needed so those who could not participate in the meal response could still contribute to the relief efforts; the list provided for both EFwM and a number of other organizations.
“We saw how effective the wish list was during an earlier backpack supply drive,” said Stroff. “It takes the guesswork out and the uncontrollable variables of donated goods out of the equation, and anyone, regardless of age, physical ability or resources can take part.”
Last but not least, among the donation links shared with the congregation was a link to donate directly to Christ Church to help with the purchase of food for meals and other supplies associated with the relief effort.
The day after the storm left the area, the planning team regrouped and established that the plan did, indeed, need to be put into action. For one day a week in the six weeks to follow, a team of Christ Church volunteers cooked, delivered and served hundreds of hot meals to workers in their camps, the visits coordinated by Garzón and an additional network of volunteers familiar with the camps and able to provide translation services. More than 200 people were served the first day alone, with the total rising to more than 500 at the one-month mark.
Meanwhile, back at Christ Church, other volunteers received the donations purchased on Amazon, organizing the goods to relieve EFwM and others from having to do so. Financial donations not needed to cover the cost of supplies were used to support other church partners providing relief in hard-hit areas. Not counting the multitude who contributed through financial or Amazon donations, 69 parishioners were directly involved in the effort to cook, deliver and serve the meals, along with donation receipt and delivery.
“I know our response happened on a slightly larger scale, but this model can be adjusted for any size church that wants to do something similar,” said Stroff. “You don’t have to do it alone—you can partner with others. The trickiest part is the coordination, especially when things happen quickly, but having a plan ahead of time and using tools like a SignUp genius or Amazon list makes it so doable.”
At the heart of Christ Church’s response was conversation: knowing the gifts they had to offer, thinking ahead to how they might be offered, and forging the relationships every day that allowed those gifts to be received.
A CHANGE OF PLANS: YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES, WINSTON-SALEM
When Hurricane Florence was heading for North Carolina, the Rev. James Franklin and the young adults in his Winston-Salem ministry were ready to respond. With an original intent to partner with St. Paul’s, Clinton, circumstances dictated a change of plans that instead saw students pull together a food and clothing drive to assist a Greenville student’s efforts in that area.
The quick pivot was not even the first associated with the storm. “We were supposed to be on retreat that weekend,” said Franklin. “And we were supposed to be at Trinity Center,” the Episcopal conference center in the Diocese of East Carolina that sustained severe damage during Florence. The confluence of events led to a decision by students that for the rest of the academic year, they will forgo retreats and spring break and instead dedicate their time to hurricane relief work. At the time we went to print, plans were still in development as needs continue to be assessed, but the young adults in Winston-Salem are looking into work days on several Saturdays in the winter months and are hoping to spend spring break lending a hand in Wilmington.
But should those plans change, too, they’ll be ready.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Recovery from Hurricanes Florence and Michael is a long journey into which we are only a few short steps. Your help has been tremendous, and it is still needed.
DONATE
Financial donations provide the most flexibility and support; three funds to which you might consider giving:
- Diocesan Fund (donations to hurricane relief via the Diocese of North Carolina): bit.ly/DioNCHurricaneFund
- Episcopal Relief & Development hurricane fund: bit.ly/ERDHurricaneFund
- Episcopal Farmworker Ministry (hurricane relief and the ministry): bit.ly/EFwMDonation
GET READY TO VOLUNTEER
’Tis the season to start thinking about putting together volunteer teams to help with rebuilding when areas in need are ready. The Rev. Louise Anderson, diocesan liaison for Episcopal Relief and Development, continues to coordinate, organize and share out opportunities and responses for interested churches and nonprofits, so if you or your team are interested in assisting in a hurricane-affected area, please contact Anderson.
SHARE RESOURCES
Be familiar with reputable resources that can provide assistance to others, whether it’s getting started with FEMA, available grants or pastoral support. Visit the diocesan website’s hurricane response page at bit.ly/NCHurricaneInfo to find resources related to Hurricanes Florence and Michael.
