Adventist Conferences and ACS Partner with Local Agencies in Hurricane Aftermath
04 December 2024 |
Weeks after the initial disaster, residents and volunteers are still addressing the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeastern parts of the US. Fortunately, support is still being given through Adventist Community Services (ACS), Georgia-Cumberland Conference, North Pacific Union (NPUC), and the City of Augusta. A warehouse has been set up to manage donations, prioritize distributions, and offer crucial necessities such as hygiene, medical supplies, food, and water.
Managing the logistics for an outreach of this size is a monumental task, so the partnering of local, national, and church resources helps ensure care is better organized and distributed. In the later stages of the operation, ten members of Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters, partnered with ACS.
The City of Augusta offered the ACS team a warehouse, forklifts, pallet jacks, garbage bins, and other essential supplies to equip the flow of operations. Challenges such as navigating distribution and transportation of supplies had a rough start in early planning, but now that the first month has concluded, the operation is a well-oiled machine.
At this time, assessments of the damage and losses have been made, leaving volunteers to bridge the gap of citizens’ losses in the aftermath. These losses often require long-term investment, such as rebuilding homes for residents in Valdosta and Douglas, Georgia, who either didn’t have insurance or weren’t covered by existing insurance.
Derrick Lea, North American Division Adventist Community Services and Disaster Response executive director, stated in an interview with Northwest Adventists,
“[Our ACS team] were able to identify homes that had been damaged and needed repair to ensure livability. A plan is in place to ensure a safe environment for those affected. This is all at no cost to the homeowner. We are forming relationships that will spread seeds throughout the neighborhoods where our churches sit.”
The partnership of Adventist Community Services with the NPUC team from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, the Upper Columbia Conference, and Team Rubicon led to greater connection among the volunteers, brought together by the shared desire to provide relief.
