Faith Community’s Role in Responding to Disasters

Abstract

Driving rain and howling wind assaulted the city. Their homes gone, cold and weary, they found refuge in the safety of the shelter. Volunteers had prepared a hot meal that sustained them. In the shelter, some sleep, others share stories of shattered homes. Tomorrow they will again face their struggles; tonight they are grateful for this brief respite. Readers contemplating the topic of disaster response may have found in the vignette above a description of a disaster shelter. In fact, it is meant to portray a homeless shelter on a typical rainy night in California. Faith-based groups such as mosques, synagogues, and churches dedicate volunteers, facilities, and other resources to shelter and feed the homeless everyday. This is one example of the essential role that faith communities play in disaster response. In this article, we will describe a number of ways that faith-based organizations and local faith communities are involved in responding to disasters. While organizations often adapt their missions to meet the needs of disaster survivors, 1 the social services provided by faith communities in times of disaster are often the same social services faith communities provide all the time.