Disaster Response & Recovery

Disaster Ministries serves as a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of disaster, fostering partnerships between United Methodists and others community partners to help rebuild homes, communities, and lives. In recent years, Swansboro United Methodist Church has received such aid from others and we remain committed to helping others in need in our local area and beyond. After Hurricane Florence, SUMC housed a Disaster Recovery Center for over a year and a half with a staff team of five (site manager,  two case managers and two construction managers) who coordinated over 60 volunteer teams over that time, deploying them over a four county area to help people get back into storm damaged homes.

Unfortunately, storms and other natural disasters continue to be a challenge. Swansboro United Methodist Church strives to be trained, equipped and ready to assist again when needed.

MISSION: The mission of Disaster Response & Recovery is two-tiered: early response & response and recovery.

Early Response: Early Response Teams (ERT) provide a caring Christian presence in the immediate aftermath of disaster. Early Response Teams function as a cooperative effort between the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM). For those wishing to be part of the Swansboro United Methodist Early Response Team, specific ERT training and certification is required. Training sessions are offered throughout the year in our conference. The success of each part of our mission relies on our VOLUNTEERS!  They power our disaster response effort.  They understand that the opportunity to invest ourselves in mission to honor God is a great privilege. They help our North Carolina neighbors find their way back home. Contact Layne Harpine if you would like to be trained for our ERT team.

Response and Recovery: The UMCOR Disaster Call Center receives requests for assistance from disaster survivors – and offers from those who want to help – while conference personnel assess damage.  Soon, work centers are established in various geographical areas.  Meanwhile, conference personnel begin defining the need and developing the ability to respond with long-term assistance if needed.

PREPARATION
Local Swansboro/Onslow County leadership is interested in pursuing a way to continue helping our local community with local resources while preparing ourselves for the next disaster. In addition to establishing our own Early Response Team at Swansboro United Methodist Church (SUMC), we continue to work together with other community partners to remain ready and prepared for the onoing and future needs related to huricane damage in our community.