Partnership
Program after
Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita for Dioceses/Congregations/Institutions
| A
DVD describing the "We
Will Stand With You" program
with a word from Bishop George Packard
will be available in mid-November for
use at diocesan conventions and other
meetings. Details of how to get one will
be posted on this website. |
Episcopal dioceses, congregations and institutions seeking
to build companion relationships in hurricane relief are asked
to work through a new churchwide system outlined September
22 during the fall meeting of the House of Bishops.
The
four-phase response system — titled "We
Will Stand With You" — has begun
under the direction of the Bishop Suffragan
for Chaplaincies, George Packard, who has asked
that diocesan bishops serve as principal liaisons
in the assessment and development of companion
relationships.
Congregations
and institutions wishing to partner with congregations
in hard-hit disaster areas are asked first
to express their interest to their diocesan
bishops, Packard said.
Development
of the system and resource sharing is supported
by new web pages available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/help.
The acronym "HELP" stands for Hurricane
Emergency Links Portal, provided by
the Episcopal News Service. Personnel have
begun compiling lists of partnerships and resources
emerging and already in place, so that an overall
response map may be readied for posting as
soon as possible.
Diocesan
bishops have begun to work with Packard in
the first-phase process of inventory and assessment
of both needs and resources. Bishops are responding
with completed survey forms distributed by
Packard, whose chaplaincy ministries also include
support of the U.S. Armed Services. (Click
here for the list of responding dioceses)
Packard
underscored the importance of the current inventory
efforts: "We know there is already on-going
help deployed and connected with need in the
affected areas; however, an accurate map of
that assistance is needed" and will be
provided online.
Under
phase two, Packard, staff and bishops in the
hardest-hit areas will begin matching needs
with resources in a fully coordinated plan.
Priorities will begin with dioceses in Louisiana
and Mississippi (and potentially other Gulf
Coast dioceses, depending upon the impact of
Hurricane Rita).
Packard
said phase three is the functional process
of beginning on-the-ground help, the development
of financial programs indented for moderate-
to long-term rebuilding, and continuing coordination
of congregations and dioceses offering help
to affected areas.
 |
Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita Working Group
|
Phase
four is evaluation and improvement, with ongoing
monitoring provided by a working group that
meets regularly at the Episcopal Church Center
in New York and unites representatives of Packard's
chaplaincies office, Episcopal Relief and Development
(ERD), Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM),
the National Association of Episcopal Schools,
the churchwide Office of Mission Program, and
the Office of Communication.
Joining
Packard in presentations to the House of Bishops
were ERD President Rob Radtke, who reiterated
the need for long-term response to hurricane
relief, as well as additional crisis-response
planning churchwide. He said ERD had already
raised nearly $5 million in new contributions
since Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29.
EMM
executive director Richard Parkins also addressed
the bishops, bringing an update of EMM work
to support evacuees and resettlement.
All
presenters emphasized the importance of ongoing
financial contributions to ERD, which may be
given online at www.er-d.org,
or by mail to ERD's bank lockbox, P.O. Box
12043, Newark, NJ 07101. Phone donations may
be placed at 800.334.7626, ext. 5129.
Inquiries
about the partnership system or HELP web pages
may be directed to staff by phoning or e-mailing
the Info Desk at the Episcopal Church Center,
Monday-Friday, 9:30am to 5pm, 800.334.7626,
or info@episcopalchurch.org.
—Reported
by Bob Williams, Episcopal Church director
of communication, from the House of Bishops
meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
|
