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When disaster strikes a local community, it is imperative that the community has sufficient resources in order to return back to normal working conditions and that business continuity is maintained. One of the many recovery issues is finding enough volunteers and other workers to assist in disaster recovery efforts. As many communities throughout the United States can attest, having volunteers for recovery is an immeasurable and invaluable resource. Disaster recovery, especially at the local level, requires participation from volunteers, outside and faith-based organizations, municipalities, and other federal and state assistance programs that may benefit the disaster-stricken area. Local disaster recovery may be considered an arduous task, but with proper planning, organizational buy-in, and local disaster recovery task forces, the return to normalcy may be expedited.

Faith-Based Organizations and Volunteers

The use of church organizations or faith-based organizations to assist in disaster recovery and rebuilding is becoming more frequent. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), local disaster relief task forces have been formed in an effort to assist with cleanup, business continuity, and restoring or refurbishing homes. Depending on the type of disaster, faith-based organizations may be used for many jobs involving salvage and overhaul. Many faith-based organizations and churches have volunteers who are willing to work, clean, paint, and restore homes after disasters such as flooding. These volunteers can remove furniture as well as clean silt and other sedimentation that may have been deposited. Many local volunteers can offer skills such as carpentry, painting, maintenance, and engineering.

The municipalities within the affected area should be willing to communicate with these organizations in order to form a coalition of resources. FEMA employs a liaison officer who assists in the coordination of volunteers on the state and local level. By using FEMA home repair grant funding, many faith-based organizations and churches will be able to purchase needed supplies and materials for reconstruction. Assistance may also come in the form of labor, food, and counseling. Another benefit of local and faith-based agencies working together is allocating resources and shelters. In the event of a disaster, relocation may be necessary for several thousand families. Churches and their volunteers provide temporary locations for families such as gymnasiums, trailers, large dining areas, and church basements. Volunteers may have access to setting up cots, food lines, showering facilities, clothing racks, and communications with family members, and offer suggestions and searches regarding disaster relief funding.

Community Pre-Planning and Support

Local recovery is the act of returning to normalcy from a disaster or emergency, and creates support systems that will sustain temporary operations within the affected city. It is important for the local community to have plans already in place for both short- and long-term recovery. With regards to short-term recovery, the use of outside firms to create mitigation studies, scenarios, amounts and types of resources needed, and any revisions to former plans, policies, and procedures may prove beneficial. Recovery operations are formed and initiated in order to coordinate and assess the damages from a disaster. The coordination of local damage assessment, restoration of public services, completing the proper steps and paperwork for federal disaster assistance, managing donations, managing state-solicited funding, and coordinating temporary housing for victims is imperative in the recovery process.

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