ACS Warehouse manager, Natalie Word, and NAD ACS Director, Derrick Lea, speak with the Lee County official about assistance.
ACS Disaster Response teams from the Southeastern and Florida conferences are currently operating two State Warehouses in Florida in response to Hurricane Ian. One is located in Fort Myers, and the other in Coral Springs, the larger of the two with 250,000 square feet of usable space. In addition, Distribution Sites have been set up at multiple churches that give ACS volunteers an opportunity to have direct contact with those affected in the community, portraying Christ’s love in action through service. Last Thursday, a delivery of goods was sent to two sites in Naples and Fort Myers. Volunteers helped unload the water and food items that are being distributed throughout this week to residents.
The South Central Conference ACS team is also rendering support on the ground in Coral Springs as a portion of their territory includes certain areas of Florida State. “It’s this collaborative spirit that strengthens ACS around the NAD, and enables us to continue to be one of the most respected organizations operating in Donations Management,” stated W. Derrick Lea, Executive Director of NAD ACS.
FEMA is providing aid to homeowners and renters in certain counties who had uninsured losses from Hurricane Ian that may be eligible for federal disaster assistance. FEMA may provide financial help with temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs, and other essential disaster-related needs. Eligible counties include Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia.
The recent Midwest tornadoes have left communities with considerable damage to homes and property, closed roads, power outage, and numerous fatalities. ACS directors in the affected conferences have spent many hours connecting with members of their Disaster Response team to determine the needs that ACS might be able to assist with. These needs include warehouse management, mobile distribution of goods, and debris removal.
Kentucky-Tennessee Conference – Partnering with local churches in the Kentucky area to help with debris removal and putting together a Warehouse Management team.
South Central Conference – Preparing to deploy Warehouse teams in Kentucky and Tennessee as needed.
Arkansas-Louisiana Conference – Forming multiple teams that will deliver goods throughout the affected areas in Arkansas.
Lake Region Conference – Conducting a needs assessment in Illinois.
Please remember the communities affected by this tragedy, as well as those responding to the needs.
On December 10, 2021, a deadly tornado moved across Western Kentucky, causing havoc on numerous towns in the state. Crossing through twelve counties during its lifespan, the tornado was exceptionally long-tracked, traveling over 200 miles that produced a series of strong tornadoes in five other states, as well. At least 45 fatalities have been confirmed, although the total death toll is estimated to be nearly 100. It is declared to be the largest tornado recorded in history.
North American Division Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) has been in communication with the ACS Disaster Response leaders in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi. Currently, Kentucky appears to be the State most heavily impacted. Assessment is taking place at present and some of our conferences, Kentucky-Tennessee, South Central, Arkansas-Louisiana, and Georgia- Cumberland, are actively putting together their teams for work. The Kentucky-TennesseeConference is purchasing supplies to aid in the Relief Efforts. We are also staying connected to the Emergency Management in the affected areas.
If you would like to make a monetary donation towards the tornado relief efforts, please see the links below.
One of the volunteers interviewing residents to document their need
Though Hurricane Ida touched down in Louisiana over a month ago on August 29, 2021, several communities affected by this tragic disaster event continue to struggle. ACS at the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference has been engaged in the Recovery Efforts under the leadership of Lavida Whitson, conference ACS Director, who had been gathering various goods over the past number of years. Fortunately, these much-needed goods that were on hand were ready to be distributed to community members through a Distribution Center that was set up in Hammond. However, there were some families that didn’t have the ability to travel the long distance to Hammond which led to ACS coordinating mobile distributions in certain areas. In addition to giving away supplies, ACS volunteers also assisted with debris cleanup.
On October 9, 2021, Sabbath morning, fifteen ACS team members came together to assist the small town of Maurepas by providing them comfort kits and cleaning tools such as shovels, brooms, mops, and other cleaning supplies. Initially, no one showed up, and then Lavida realized that they had done everything but pray, so she offered the first prayer. And then, another team member gave a closing prayer to request God’s presence in their work. At the close of his prayer, they opened their eyes to see a line of cars patiently waiting on them. At this point the team sprang into action and continued doing so until everything they had was gone.
While assisting in Maurepas, a contact from the Indian Nation had reached out asking for help. During the Katrina Recovery Efforts, ACS assisted the Houma Indian Nation for many months, and based on this history, they were asking if we might be able to assist with Ida Recovery also. NAD ACS Director, Derrick Lea, along with Whitson, met with the Vice Principal Chief of the Houma Nation to get an overview of what the needs were within his community and ascertain how ACS could be of support. The Nation was made up of around 17,000 individuals out of which many had been displaced. Even though rebuilding of the homes was determined to be the greatest need, clothing, bedding, and other household items were also in demand. The local ACS team is putting goods together for distribution in this community. They will carry out similar work in other impacted areas as well, in the next few days. “ACS will continue serving though the news no longer highlights this continued need. One resident approached me as we surveyed the damage to the Houma Nation radio station and asked, “What are we supposed to do?” While I didn’t have a good answer, I did express to her our intent of helping her and people like her with the goods that we have. My hope is these efforts combined with others will ensure a livable situation for many that have been overlooked,” stated Lea.
Setting up the signage to get started
One of the trailers filled with the goods to be distributed
ACS team praying for God’s presence in their work
One of the volunteers interviewing residents to document their need
A resident with his tractor came looking for assistance
All DR buckets were eventually used
Cars lining up to receive cleaning supplies
Cars lining up to receive cleaning supplies
Cars lining up to receive cleaning supplies
Signs like this blanketed the Houma Nation community
Houma Nation headquarters with destroyed radio station next door
ADRA is on the ground assisting with the Recovery Efforts in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti few days ago. A needs assessment was conducted which reveals that food, shelter, and hygiene kits are the three basic needs. All the humanitarian items that are being distributed to the affected communities are bought in Haiti which is quicker, cheaper, and supports the local economy.
While these efforts continue to take place, ACS teams within the North American Division such as the Texas Conference are finding productive ways to support the work. They have partnered with Reach Out America to send 16 pallets of various items to Haiti, such as new clothing, shoes, blankets, hygiene kits, and clean-up buckets. UPS is supplying a 747 jumbo-jet to transport these items.
If you would like to help, ADRA International is requesting monetary donations at this time, given the hardship of sending supplies overseas. All financial support given to ADRA International will go directly to the local response team, ADRA Haiti, who has been the lead of this current effort.
Let us continue to remember those who have lost loved ones and have been affected by this tragedy, in our prayers.
On August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti approximately 78 miles (128 km) west of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, with a 6.2 miles (10 km) depth. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates “high casualties are probable and significant damage is likely” with the number of deaths currently estimated in the hundreds and thousands injured, making it the deadliest earthquake of 2021.
While ACS teams respond to disasters and crisis events within the North American Division, history shows us that many of our members are affected by such types of occurrences in the Inter-American Division as they have family and friends that reside there. Given this reality, we are in communication with our colleagues at the Inter-American Division, ADRA International, and ADRA Haiti to ascertain the needs on the ground and determine how we can be of assistance.
Even though ADRA is the responding organization for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, some of our conferences are standing at the ready to supplement and support their efforts as needed. The NAD ACS leadership is in discussion with these conferences such as Northeastern that have expressed concern and their willingness to render aid. Currently, a needs assessment is being conducted in the affected areas. The earthquake has left behind thousands injured, and many hospitals and clinics overwhelmed. ADRA is working in collaboration with these institutions to meet needs support requested such as transportation, food, medication, and other supplies.
Please keep those affected by this tragic event and the responders in your prayers.
One of our Emotional and Spiritual Care providers speaks with Search and Rescue workers during one of their breaks, offering support to those working on the scene.
UPDATE – July 7, 2021
Adventist Community Services Disaster Response (ACS DR) teams continue to assist with Recovery Efforts in Surfside, Florida. Donations are pouring into the Warehouse which are being sorted and categorized for distribution for families of those affected by the condo collapse. Local churches such as the Tabernacle Seventh-day Adventist Church are being utilized as Distribution Sites where the survivors and other community members can have access to these donated goods that include food, clothing, personal care kits, and other essentials items. Several areas surrounding the Disaster Site are shut down and multiple buildings in Miami have been evacuated due to safety concerns. The American Red Cross is helping displaced residents and emergency providers find a safe place to stay by setting up shelters in a hotel nearby, as well as offering their headquarters to house evacuees. In addition, we are working in coordination with them to provide counseling through our credentialed personnel. ACS Emotional and Spiritual Care providers are teaming up with Red Cross providers to render aid to residents and community members in various areas around the Disaster Site.
One particular survival story was told by a young lady who lived in the collapsed building. She explained to our Providers that her mother had saved her life. Upon inquiring as to how this was so, she went on to share that the only reason she was not home on that fateful night was because her mother had fallen ill earlier in the day. She decided to leave her apartment and stay with her mother that night just to ensure that she would be okay. As she spoke, she got emotional and our Providers offered to pray with her. Right there in the middle of the hotel lobby, our Providers prayed and asked God to continue to be with her and her mother. At the end of the prayer, she asked if she could receive a hug. Though as Providers we are careful with how touch is used, each of the Providers embraced and asked God to be with her. “There are more stories that could be told, but needless to stay ACS is participating in work that will have impact on those affected by this event,” said W. Derrick Lea, Director of NAD ACS.
Click here to read article on the Miami building collapse by NAD Communications.
ACS Warehouse Management team sorting through boxes of donated goods.
ACS personnel cleaning and preparing a couple of extra rooms in the Tabernacle SDA Church for distribution of supplies.
W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS Director, meets with the Providers to ensure that they are abreast of their role in lending comfort and support.
ACS and Red Cross providers discussing on how to coordinate the counseling sessions.
One of our Emotional and Spiritual Care providers speaks with Search and Rescue workers during one of their breaks, offering support to those working on the scene.
Comfort animals worked in concert with our Emotional and Spiritual Care providers.
Care Providers praying with the young lady who resided in the building but was not home on that fateful night.
ACS Providers connecting with people in the community.
ACS Disaster Response personnel from the Southeastern and Florida conferences assembled early this morning at Feeding South Florida in Pembroke Park which will be utilized as a Warehouse. It is located about 15 minutes away under normal traffic conditions from the Disaster site. This area of the city is shut down currently allowing only designated response personnel and residents within a 15-block radius of the site, and police are ensuring these restrictions are enforced through verification of credentials every other block. ACS conference directors Conrad Duncan and Robert Moore outlined the plan of operations for the team. Each person was designated with a particular role and then a tour of the facility was given to the entire team.
In addition to collecting the donated goods that come in, we have identified various Distribution Sites which include our local churches. We will utilize our ACS Volunteers to operate at these sites in order to be able to provide these goods directly to families of those affected. In addition, the team traveled to the Disaster site and met with Serve Florida at their Command Center. They discussed what support ACS would consider helpful which included travel cost coverage for our volunteers, increased messaging to the public of the donations that will be helpful, and transportation support for the Warehouse to deliver goods to those affected.
Video: Southeastern Conference ACS Director Robert Moore and Florida Conference Ryan Amos speak about ACS involvement.
A 13-story condominium tower, Champlain Towers South, located near Miami, Florida, partially collapsed in the early hours of June 24, 2021 morning. Sixteen people have been confirmed dead and around 150 unaccounted for. We are working together with the ACS teams at the Southern Union Conference, and Florida and Southeastern conferences who are assessing the situation in order to determine how to best serve the affected community. The local authorities of Florida State have requested ACS to assist with Warehouse operations. ACS Disaster Response (ACS DR) leadership from both conferences are working in a coordinated way to form a Warehouse Management team and are in discussion on how the Recovery Efforts will take place. ACS Directors Robert Moore and Conrad Duncan have each identified trained members from their conference that will outfit this team for 24 hours a day during the first week of operations.
In addition to the need for a State Warehouse, we are also attempting to set up Distribution Sites for community members. We’ve also been asked by the American Red Cross whether our Emotional and Spiritual Care Providers could be utilized to provide assistance for families affected by this tragic event. We will be in discussion with them to determine the particulars of this assignment for this phase. Since Florida has been the site of several challenging circumstances, we have credentialed Providers who are ready to be of service. W. Derrick Lea, Director for North American Division Adventist Community Services, is currently onsite meeting with our ACS team members at the Warehouse to put the operational plan in place, set schedules of those assigned, and collaborate with authorities responsible for overall Response in the community. “The days will be long, but we trust that many will be helped through our efforts, and that those who observe us will see Christ working through us,” said Lea.
Please keep the individuals and families who have been affected by this tragedy in your prayers.
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the nation, Adventist Community Services (ACS) Centers have been encouraged to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to volunteers, staff, and community members. Face masks are one of the most essential supplies that are in great demand today.
AdventHealth in Florida recently donated 150,000 face masks to ACS for use in food pantries and other areas serving communities in need. These masks which are from AdventHealth’s donation-eligible stockpiles were distributed to the Florida, Texas, and Greater New York conferences. Each conference received one pallet of 50,000 masks which is valued at $6,000, totaling the retail price of the masks to be $18,000. In addition to the donation, the hospital also took care of all transportation costs. While keeping the primary focus on protecting front-line caregivers, AdventHealth is constantly evaluating the opportunity to help others.
“AdventHealth is blessed to have strong inventory levels that allow us to share these donation-eligible face masks, while ensuring our team members remain protected,” said Monty Jacobs, director of AdventHealth Global Missions. “Understanding that this is a challenging time for many families, we are grateful to Adventist Community Services for the opportunity to help safeguard the volunteers who provide warm meals, clothing and more to those who need it most.”
“We are so grateful to AdventHealth for their generous offer to Adventist Community Services (ACS), and look forward to distributing the Masks to our Food Pantry teams, those working in our Schools and Community Centers. Keeping ACS team members safe while serving is a responsibility we take seriously and this donation was an answer to our prayers,” stated Derrick Lea, disaster response director for North American Division Adventist Community Services.
The Chesapeake Conference received a donation of 25,000 N95 masks from Coca Cola this week. The conference ACS Director, Ignacio Goya, and W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS Disaster Response Director, were present on the scene, along with the Director of Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Strickland. They discussed about the partnership of ACS, Coco Cola, and the State of Maryland before unloading the masks with their support team. The masks will be distributed to community members who are in need of them. Lea stated, “We were pleased to express our gratitude for being able to serve as a resource for those struggling through this challenging time”.
If you or your family and friends have been impacted by the hurricanes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers resources to help with recovery. Registering online, at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, is the quickest way to register for FEMA assistance.
Visit the Hurricane Harvey, Irma, or Maria pages for trusted recovery information.
To donate or volunteer, contact the voluntary or charitable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) at www.nvoad.org.
NVOAD is coordinating closely with the Puerto Rico Governor’s Office on offers of assistance. To make a cash donation directly to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, visit www.unitedforpuertorico.com.
The State of Louisiana is still in the process of recovering from the devastating floods that swept across the state in August 2016. One of the areas that were severely hit was Baton Rouge, which alone received a tremendous amount of rain in two days that it caused more than ten rivers to overflow. A federal disaster declaration was issued for over 20 parishes. Over 150,000 families have applied for assistance from the government.
ACS has been in regular contact with Louisiana State, the Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), and FEMA, identifying the needs of the affected communities and coordinating relief efforts. It was found that the greatest unmet need was for kitchen kits to allow families to prepare, serve, and eat meals in their own homes. The ARK-LA Conference ACS Disaster Response Management Team, led by Lavida Whitson, coordinated the ACS response to this emergency with the support of ACS volunteers from several other conferences.
The needs of each family who applied for FEMA assistance were thoroughly evaluated, and resources were made available to them to assist in their recovery. ADRA provided the funds to purchase 450 kitchen kits; each kit was constituted of 83 pieces. The families who were eligible to receive the kits were scheduled for a distribution event in their corresponding parish. The kits were loaded into a truck and transported to the distribution sites, which had banners of ADRA and ACS hanging at each of the sites. They were then distributed by ACS teams to the designated families in the five most affected parishes. ACS-operated multi-agency warehouses were utilized to store the kitchen kits securely prior to distribution.
Overall, this was a very successful project in assisting families in need following the flooding. Adventist Community Services appreciates the Grant funds provided by ADRA. This project would not have been possible without this assistance. We also would like to acknowledge all of the volunteers, workers, and staff of the Disaster Response Team for their continued dedicated efforts in the Recovery process.
Lavida Whitson (left), ARKLA ACS Director, receives gift of $15,000 from Keith Heming (right), Operations Director of the Samaritan Center.
The Samaritan Center, located in Ooltewah, TN, gifted a check of $15,000 to ACS Arkansas-Louisiana for Relief Efforts following the intense historic floods in Louisiana last month. In addition to the monetary gift, a van-load of needed cleaning tools and supplies were also provided to support the ongoing clean-up efforts in the flood-affected community. The Samaritan Center put in $8,000 from its disaster relief reserve fund that was created in response to the devastating tornadoes of 2011. The remaining $7,000 were given by donors. A Big ‘Thank you’ goes to the many community members who supported this important initiative. Dozens of our Louisiana neighbors have the help they need, due to your kindness.
Lavida Whitson (left), ARKLA ACS Director, receives gift of $15,000 from Keith Heming (right), Operations Director of the Samaritan Center.
In addition to the need for a State Warehouse, we are also attempting to set up Distribution Sites for community members. We’ve also been asked by the American Red Cross whether our Emotional and Spiritual Care Providers could be utilized to provide assistance for families affected by this tragic event. We will be in discussion with them to determine the particulars of this assignment for this phase. Since Florida has been the site of several challenging circumstances, we have credentialed Providers who are ready to be of service. W. Derrick Lea, Director for North American Division Adventist Community Services, is currently onsite meeting with our ACS team members at the Warehouse to put the operational plan in place, set schedules of those assigned, and collaborate with authorities responsible for overall Response in the community. “The days will be long, but we trust that many will be helped through our efforts, and that those who observe us will see Christ working through us,” said Lea.
