Category: Disaster Response

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Disaster Response

Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan

The switch of water supply from Lake Huron to Flint River caused a disaster for the residents in Flint, Michigan. The Flint River toxic water corroded the pipes which caused lead to leak into the water supply. Numerous people have become sick. Lake Region Conference Adventist Community Services with the help of members at Fairhaven and Eternal Life SDA Churches is responding by distributing water bottles to people who are affected by the water crisis. The youth are putting water analysis testing kits together and adults are giving out water filters.

Currently the Seventh-day Adventists church members in Flint are distributing approximately 10 pallets of water a week and will continue to do so for the next 5 months until the new water-lines are in place. The water in Flint cannot be used for drinking, bathing or cooking. Please send monetary donations to the Michigan Conference at 320 W St Joseph Hwy, Lansing MI 48933, and marked Flint Water Crisis. Please contact Debra Davis-Moody, Lake Region ACS Disaster Response Director at Fairhaven SDA Church (612-229-1676) or by email: dmoody@lakeregionsda.org for water donations or to volunteer.

The American Red Cross is taking charge of putting together 80,000 water testing kits which is the only job children under 18 are allowed to do (Pathfinders & Youth Groups). 11,000 have been made so they need a lot of help.

The Volunteer Reception Center is within the American Red Cross Headquarters and is in desperate need of volunteers for Data Entry, water distribution and filter distribution at the five Flint Fire Departments. Please consider this volunteer opportunity. You can volunteer by calling the community service phone number 211.

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Disaster Response Tornadoes

Disaster Response from Alabama Tornado

South Central Conference Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) team is on the ground working the aftermath of the December 25th tornado that hit the southwest area of Birmingham in Jefferson County, AL. The team is being led by Veronica Edwards-Johnson who is the Central AL ACS DR Coordinator. The team is working from the Volunteer Reception Center that is set up at Hopewell Baptist Church, Birmingham. They have been distributing clean-up buckets, hygiene kits, food and water. They have also been in the community providing these services as well.

“The North Mississippi ACS DR Coordinator, Barbara Ware has been in discussions with local EMA officials in several counties and was told local churches were handling distributions. I’ve encouraged her to rally her team members an work alongside these different congregations to help provide assistance where needed. We covet your prayers and know that you are praying for us daily.” – Barbara Barnes & Lillie Buckingham – Adventist Community Services/SCC

You can see updates on Facebook: Adventist Community Services South Central Conference

Categories
Disaster Response Tornadoes

Tornadoes Cause Multiple Fatalities in North Texas

Update Jan 1, 2016

The ACS DR Collection/Distribution Center, located at Granger Recreation Center, in Garland, TX has been busy serving the survivors of the recent tornadoes in North Texas. Monique Monroe, Dallas Area ACS DR Coordinator, is managing the operation. Supplies are arriving, being sorted, and distributed to the survivors coming in.

We have had ACS volunteers from many of our local churches, and one church has been collecting needed items and delivering them to the center. Over 1100 home were either destroyed or majorly damaged, so there is great need.

Thank you for your support and prayers. – Sherry Watts, ACS Asst. Director Texas Conference

Dec 27, 2015

Multiple tornadoes that passed through parts of Texas this past weekend left 30,000 people without power. Around 600 buildings were destroyed or damage and several fatalities.

Garland Faith Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1702 E Centerville Rd, Garland, TX 75041, will be the operational headquarters for Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) for the response to the tornadoes in the area.

They are assembling some clean up kits to distribute to the affected families. Many home have damage and cleaning supplies are in great demand. Volunteers are also needed to help in the effort.

Supplies Needed: bleach, scouring pads, sponges (assorted sizes), scrub brushes, cleaning towels (reusable), laundry detergent, household cleaners (i.e., pine sol, 409), dish soap, dust masks, latex & non latex gloves, work gloves, heavy duty trash bags, large tarps, brooms, mops, mop buckets, and paper towels.

Monetary donations may be sent to: Texas ACS, PO Box 35, Keene, TX 76959

Let’s remember the people affected by this unfortunate disaster in our prayers.

Read More

PHOTO CREDIT: G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News

UPDATE: 12-29-15 –

The morning following the Dallas area tornadoes, Pastor Dennis Austin of the Joshua Seventh-day Adventist Church posted on Facebook the need for cleaning supplies for the survivors. Supplies were soon collected and delivered to the Garland Faith Seventh-day Adventist Church for distribution.

Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) has been asked to operate the donations management for both the Garland and Rowlett tornado responses. They will be one operation serving both cities. Possible locations are being checked out to determine the best location and facility.

Additional supplies (clean up kits, mold inhibitor, and toilet paper) from the ACS DR Depot in Keene, TX will be delivered to the Garland Faith SDA Church tomorrow morning for immediate distribution – Sherry Watts, ACS DR Asst. Director Texas Conference

Categories
Disaster Response Floods Partnership

Governor Nikki Haley Lends a Hand to Flood Survivors

When the Carolina Conference received a request from the State of South Carolina to open a warehouse for the handling of donated goods to serve the survivors of the severe flooding there, several volunteers from the GA-Cumberland Conference were asked to join with them to facilitate the swift set up of this operation. The warehouse worked closely with the Governor’s Office to accomplish this.

A shipment of 630 flood buckets was received from the Allegheny East Conference, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley asked the staff of the warehouse to come with her as she visited the affected counties and to hand out the buckets to the victims during her visit with the counties. The governor came by to personally thank each ACS DR volunteer for helping with her mobile distribution program and for operating the warehouse for the state, and to have her picture taken with the group.

The warehouse was shut down for the afternoon this happened, leaving Terry Haight behind to answer phones, unload any stray trucks, etc. A Regional Director from the office of US Senator Tim Scott saw the ACS banner and stopped by to see what was happening. After a golf cart tour of the warehouse (it was an 85,000 sq/ft building), Haight invited the Director into his office, and the two of them discussed ACS DR for over a half hour about what we do, how we do it and what Adventists believe. The Director said he knew Presidential hopeful Ben Carson, was an Adventist, but had no idea what Adventists believed. They spent over a half-hour discussing these things, following which the Director declared that he had visited many of the other volunteer operations helping out in the state, but had not seen any of them anywhere nearly as organized as the Adventists, and that he was going to recommend that the Senator come and inspect this operation himself, to see how donated goods should be handled.

This was certainly a “High Day” for ACS Disaster Response and the Seventh-day Adventist Church! We all pray that we represented our Savior in the best possible way.

Categories
Disaster Response Floods

Flooding in Central Texas

In response to the recent flooding in Central Texas, ACS participated in a Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) yesterday in Kyle, Texas. This center served two of the hardest hit counties. Yellow cleanup buckets, toilet paper, and mold inhibitor were distributed to 142 families (576 people). Many survivors expressed appreciation for the assistance. #ACSResponds #NADACS

Categories
Disaster Response Floods

#CarolinaFloods Update

Adventist Community Services in the Carolina Conferences have been keeping busy responding to the floods that took place last week. Today, the warehouse that was previously opened for water supply has been closed and is now moving to a 82,000 square foot warehouse in Lugoff, SC.

ACS Disaster Response has asked that all donations of cleaning supplies be sent to Lugoff. We are estimating that approximately 500 ACS flood buckets will be put together and distributed. They are asking specifically for cleaning supplies, except for bleach. No water is needed at this time as well.

For a complete list of needs, please visit scemd.org.

The address for the warehouse is 1255 commerce drive Lugoff, SC 29078. However, please DO NOT hand deliver to the warehouse, send in material donations. Any questions on what is still needed can be sent to donatedgoodswarehouse@gmail.com. For monetary donations, click the “Donate Now” button on this page.

If you are 16 or older and would like to volunteer, please fill out THIS ONLINE FORM.

For more information and updates on relief, please visit carolinasda.org for updates and guidelines to help.

Donate Now

Categories
Disaster Response Floods

#JoaquinFloods

On October 4th, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin’s waters flooded areas in the Carolina Conference. CNN stated; “South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley didn’t mince any words on Sunday about just how dangerous a situation the weather– which was blamed for five deaths in the state by Sunday night– had become in her state.”

Adventist Community Services was quick to respond and has established two warehouses in the Carolinas. The warehouses seem to have large amounts of bleach and water and is requesting for no more of those items to be sent over to them.

However, they are requesting cleaning products. In an event as large as this one, not only many businesses and homes are destroyed, but landmarks as well. Cleaning supplies are beneficial to help those struggling to clean up. Please stay tuned to updates on the addresses to send these items to.

Prayers are requested for everyone who is dealing with the repercussions of the flood. Let’s pray for the individuals affected, for sunshine to dry up the water that remains, and let’s pray for the families of the people who lost their loved ones in the floods.

For more information on how you can help specifically, call the Carolina conference at 1 (704) 596-3200. To donate, click the button below.

Donate

Categories
Disaster Response Fires

#ValleyFire Update

Check out this video for more details on the Adventist Church Center and the services it’s providing!

Dear Beloved Church Family, There is wonderful news regard the [NAME NOT PUBLISHED]’s family. “We are doing ok, our whole family is together desperately searching for a home. …” [This Sabbath the Middletown church will be meeting outdoors on their property as the Red Cross is using their facility and sanctuary as a shelter for volunteers.] The activities on Sabbath will be behind the church sanctuary. Please don’t use the church building as there will be individual sleeping inside. We will use the restrooms at the school. Elder and Mrs Pedersen, with Stephanie Leal, Julie Lorenz, Jeff Klam, and Ed Fargussen came up to visit our Middletown church today. I had just finished up a special time with MAS Students, as we lowered our flag at half mast in honor of Bruce Burns. Debi Pedersen brought a cake in honor of [Middletown Adventist School Principal] Lottie’s birthday, and was enough for all the students to have a snack together. What a thoughtful gesture. Lottie shared that they had root beer floats yesterday which Lynal Ingham, our education associate superintendent, brought up. … met with [NCC Risk Management Director] Jeff Klam and inspected the property together, and I am sure by now more than one of you have been called to help with some of the projects on our campus. We were given a tour by the Red Cross of part of our church and fellowship hall, and had to keep our voices down as there were some sleeping, because they had volunteered for the night shift. There are volunteers that have come from all over the United States, and it is very interesting to get acquainted with them and to thank them for leaving their homes to share with our communities. … Tonight the updated numbers of structures destroyed in the Valley Fire from Cal Fire: 1,910 with 76,067 acres burned and 82% contained this evening.

The above message was taken from nccsda.com from a post on September 23rd, 2015. [For privacy concerns, some names are not published]

Categories
Disaster Response Fires

#ValleyFires Update!

Check out this article regarding that #ValleyFires. Look at ACS’s efforts to respond!

If you have more stories or pictures to share of what your community is doing to help, let m us know! email us at acs@nadadventist.org

Categories
Disaster Response Fires

#ACSResponds to Butte and Valley fires.

Last week, when Jim and Carolyn Oliver left their home of 11 years—in the midst of 120 acres of forest — they didn’t know if they would see it again. The Butte fire was moving hot and fast through the area. Carolyn caught a glimpse of the fire’s power as she served in her role as senior chaplain for a fire protection district. Her battalion chief asked her to accompany him as she checked on firefighters, and she was shocked. “I had never seen devastation like that,” she said.

When she arrived home, she told Jim that they needed to get out. They grabbed their “go bag,” and they left. (Shortly thereafter, their community received a mandatory evacuation order.) Their home is currently being used as a dormitory for firefighters. The Olivers know about emergencies. Through the years they’ve been involved with numerous disaster response organizations. In addition, Carolyn has served as disaster response coordinator for the Northern California Conference, and Jim now holds that position, in addition to his role as NCC Adventist Community Services Federation president.

Now it’s the Olivers’ own neighbors who are affected by disaster. “When it’s at your back door, it’s a whole new thing,” said Carolyn. “ What you’re not prepared for is when it’s people you know who are losing their homes.” As of Sept. 15, the Olivers’ house was still standing. They continue to be hopeful, but no matter what the outcome, they trust that the Lord will be with them. “We are at peace because God is still in charge and cares for us,” said Jim.

The Butte and Valley fires are still wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands. But you can help! Adventist Community Services provides assistance to individuals, families and communities during and after disasters. Donate today to help people affected by these fires.