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Register Now: Disaster Chaplain Training at MCNY, May 17-18
Through a new training partnership with MCNY’s (Metropolitan College of New York), Emergency & Disaster Management Program, NDIN and MCNY will offer this two-day Disaster Chaplain Training course in NYC at MCNY (431 Canal Street, Manhattan) on May 17 and 18. This course prepares chaplains and religious leaders to volunteer in mass-care settings or to serve as volunteer disaster chaplains in mass-care settings – or, within their house of worship, religious community or professional institution. Tuition is $195.

For Information or to Register: Click Here
To organize a training in your community contact us at; info@n-din.org
To download our Disaster Spiritual Care Training brochure click here

Register Now: Disaster Chaplain Training at Hartford Seminary, June 12-13
Through a new training partnership with Hartford Seminary in Harford, Connecticut, NDIN and Hartford Seminary will begin offering a two-day Disaster Chaplain Training course at Hartford Seminary. The first course will be held on June 12 and 13. This course prepares chaplains and religious leaders to volunteer in mass-care settings or to serve as volunteer disaster chaplains in mass-care settings – or, within their house of worship, religious community or professional institution. Tuition is $195. CEUs and for Credit options are available on request.

For Information or to Register: Click Here
To organize a training in your community contact us at; info@n-din.org
To download our Disaster Spiritual Care Training brochure click here

NDIN/USC CRCC Begin Muslim/Sikh Disaster Capacity Building Project
With grant funding from the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC) has engaged NDIN as the primary consultant for a 6 month project aimed at building the disaster preparedness and recovery capacity of Muslim and Sikh organizations within the VOAD movement and the State of California. Project stakeholders include: ICNA Relief, Islamic Relief USA, the Sikh Coalition and the United Sikhs. The project started in March, when Peter Gudaitis traveled to California for 10 days of partner meetings and site visits to each agency’s field office. Each agency was assessed for their current operation capabilities and strategic capacity building goals. A final report to CalEMA will include real time assessments, capacity building benchmarks, long-term engagement strategies and recommendations.

USC Website: http://crcc.usc.edu
NDIN Contact: Peter Gudaitis - pgudaitis@n-din.org

NDIN Completes Long-Term ESC Needs Assessment of 9/11 Families
From January through March, NDIN was engaged by the Mental Health Association of New York City, to complete a long-term emotional and spiritual care needs assessment of 9/11 victim families and recovery workers. In April, NDIN will present its final report to MHA-NYC, 9/11 provider agencies, and City government agencies. The report is based on a comprehensive self-assessment survey of 9/11 victim families and recovery workers. The survey assessed the emotional and spiritual needs of victim families during the past ten years and throughout the 10th anniversary year, and it asked participants to consider what resources and services they expect to need in future years to continue to address their wellness, grief, and mental and spiritual resilience. This assessment was conducted as a part of the 9/11 Healing & Remembrance Program, which is being funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crimes.

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NDIN Featured Resource for Citizen Corps: Put Your Faith in Preparedness
Citizen Corps’ newly revised online resource directory contains lists of faith-based organizations who offer best practices in community preparedness and disaster recovery efforts. NDIN is included among their listings of interfaith organizations dedicated to disaster response work.

Visit the website

NDIN Featured on Australia’s VCC Emergencies Ministry Website
Australia’s Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry, which began in 1977 and includes over 1,500 volunteers trained to respond to disasters throughout the state of Victoria, has launched a new website that documents their commitment to best practices in Crisis Chaplaincy, Emotional Spiritual Care, Outreach, Personal Support and Psychological First Aid. The new website features news on recent disasters, information on training for personal support and chaplaincy, VCC Emergencies Ministry’s YouTube videos, and lists of valuable resources, among which the NDIN website is listed. In  2011, NDIN hosted the State Coordinator for the Victorian Emergency Chaplaincy Network (VERN) for field study about disaster emotional and spiritual care best practices and multi-faith training models that could be implemented at VERN.

Visit the website

NDIN Offers Consulting and Training for Faith Communities and Their Partners
NDIN provides consulting and training in disaster human services and faith-based program development to faith communities and faith-based organizations. NDIN also contracts with community-based and government agencies who seek to enhance their mitigation, readiness, response, and recovery capacity in partnership with faith communities. To learn more about our 13 different training courses or areas of expertise in consulting, call us or download our Consulting & Training brochure from the link below.

For more information contact: (212) 669-6100 or info@n-din.org.
To download our Consulting & Training brochure: (Click Here)

New Disaster Mental Health “Distress Helpline” is Live and Ready to Serve
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Disaster Distress Helpline has been successfully launched and is dedicated to providing emotional support to those affected by disasters. The Distress Helpline, available 24/7, year-round, provides crisis counseling, support, information and referral services to all those struggling to recover from any disaster, emergency, incident of mass violence or any event that provokes significant psychological distress.

To contact the Helpline, call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746; Spanish-speakers can text ‘Hablanos.’

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ARC/Dell Launch Social Media Digital Operations Center for Humanitarian Relief
On March 7, the American Red Cross and Dell launched a new Digital Operations Center, a social-media-based operation devoted to humanitarian relief. The first of its kind, this Digital Operations Center is located at the Red Cross National Disaster Operations Center in Washington, D.C. and will help expand the Red Cross’s ability to engage with the public during emergencies. The Red Cross has also announced a Digital Volunteer program to help provide information and respond to questions from the public during disasters.

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HP: Volunteer ‘Disaster Junkies’ Play Key Role in (2012) Tornado Relief
In 'Disaster Junkies' Bring Experience, Knowledge, To Relief Efforts, Huffington Post reporterJay Reeves speaks to the growth of employment and volunteer opportunities arising from recent disaster and emergency situations. Reeves draws particular attention to the work and efforts carried out by individuals termed ‘disaster junkies,’ who actively and ‘addictively’ seek opportunities to serve and rebuild disaster sites across the nation.

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2.4M Participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill
On February 7, more than 2.4 million people across nine states participated in this year’s Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. Current data reveals impressive turnout numbers across the board: Non-profit organizations number at 12,689 participants, while faith-based organizations show a turnout of 1,479. Service and preparedness organizations show a combined turnout of 3,932 participants. The total number of turnouts will continue to grow as ShakeOut waits for all participants to register their involvement in the drill.

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USATD: East Coast Quake a 'Teachable Moment'
Reporter Chuck Raasch’s brief article reviews the lasting impact of the earthquake that shook the East Coast in late 2011. More than six months after the quake, its lessons still reverberate through the emergency management, engineering and geological communities. Experts attest that East Coast states are inadequately prepared for earthquakes and would benefit from earthquake drills such as the ‘Great Central U.S. Shakeout.’  

Read the article

NYT: New Orleans Group Promotes Hurricane Awareness
In this article, New York Times reporter Dave Thier recounts the work of seasoned volunteer Robert X. Fogerty and of Evacuteer, a New Orleans-based organization that annually recruits, trains and manages approximately 350 volunteers to evacuate the city in the event of a hurricane. Thier also sheds light on Fogerty’s efforts to institute Evacuspots, sculptures that serve as markers for evacuation pick-up points, across New Orleans.   

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HP: Joplin Tornado Victims Get Help From Hurricane Katrina Survivors
Reported by Alan Scher Zagier of the Huffington Post, this article centers on the partnership and exchange between Rebuild Joplin, a nonprofit group that emerged in the wake of the Joplin tornados, and the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit organization serving victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Oil Spill, and their quest to recover from the disasters that devastated their respective communities.

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NCLA/FEMA Webinar on Meeting the Emergency Needs of Latino Communities
The National Council of La Raza (NCLA), together with the FEMA Private Sector Division and the FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaison Unit, co-hosted Tools to Help Emergency Managers Meet the Need of Latino Communities on Tuesday, February 28. This webinar featured presentations that highlighted components of the emergency management toolkit designed to improve responsiveness among Latinos in disaster planning, relief and recovery efforts. 

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NHO: Diagnosing Flu Symptoms with Social Media
This Natural Hazard Observer (NHO) article is a brief overview of the experiments conducted by Vasileios Lampos and Nello Cristianini on the use of social media and its role in assessing rainfall levels and detecting a flu epidemic. Lampos and Cristianini conducted two experiments using Twitter content in the UK and found that the data or text can be used with significant accuracy to infer levels of rainfall or influenza-like illness in a given location.

Read the article (Pages 7-9)

The Insurance Industry’s Incredible Disappearing Weather Catastrophe Risk
This report by the Consumer Federation of America has found that insurance companies are shifting the cost of severe weather—tornados, hurricanes, and floods—to consumers. By increasing deductibles and capping payouts, insurers place the cost of extreme weather upon policyholders. Subsequently, overwhelmed homeowners are forced to rely on disaster assistance, which implies that taxpayers also take on a larger share of the risk.

Read the report

Successful Crisis Communication—Immigrant Task Force Speaker Series
Tuesday, March 27: 3:30pm-5:00pm
NYC OEM Warehouse, 930 Flushing Ave. Brooklyn
For registration, contact citizencorps@oem.nyc.gov.
For additional information, (Click Here).

This workshop, open to representatives from nonprofit and community organizations, is designed to foster effective communication skills during a disaster and improve information sharing networks.
Capacity: Maximum of 15 people

Free shuttle service between NYC OEM HQ (165 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn) and Warehouse; shuttle departs at 3:00pm.

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Points of Dispensing
Thursday, March 29: 3:30pm-8:30pm
St. Paul the Apostle Church, Columbus Ave
To register, email Haddie Lizasuain at healthmrc@health.nyc.gov with your name, full contact information, volunteer organization affiliation, title and date of the workshop. Space is limited.

This hands-on workshop will familiarize participants with the organization and operation of Points of Dispensing (PODS), emergency clinics set up around the city to dispense mass prophylaxis in the event of an emergency or disaster.

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Child Passenger Safety Technician Training
April 9-12: 8:30am-4:40pm
Safety City, 672 W.158 Street, Manhattan
For registration and additional information, visit National CPS Certification, click on “Find A Class” and follow the prompts for registration. The course ID # is NY20120125128.

Conducted by the NYC Department of Transpiration, this 32-hour program is designed to prepare individuals to become child passenger safety technicians and will cover topics that include the need for child passenger safety, crash dynamics, vehicle occupant protection systems, correct installation of child restraints, misuse and compatibility issues, safety in other vehicles, ethical considerations related to child passenger safety, and organizing a child seat checkup event.

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IAWF 3rd Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference
April 17-19, 2012
Hilton Hotel, Seattle, Washington
For registration and information, click (Click Here).

Hosted by the International Association of Wildland Fire, the conference will address public safety, preparedness, and management of wildland fires. Topics include long-term homeowner maintenance of defensible space, firefighters’ physical and psychological workplace injuries, neighborhood involvement in wildfire mitigation planning, and the effect of large wildfires on local labor markets.

Cost and Registration: $495 before March 17, open until filled

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IDMH: Building Capacity: Managing and Mitigating Responder Stress
Friday, April 20, 2012
SUNY New Paltz, New York
For additional information, (Click Here).

Hosted by the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz, this 9th annual conference will provide training on effective stress management and self-care strategies, and a forum to discuss disaster response, emergency management, and the stress of trauma work.

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20th Annual National VOAD Conference
May 8-10, 2012
Norfolk Waterside Marriott, 235 East Main Street, Norfolk, VA
For registration and information, (Click Here).

The National VOAD is set to host its 20th Annual Conference in Norfolk, Virginia come May. The Conference will convene leaders and volunteers from diverse fields and feature an array of workshops, presentations and activities intended to address topics and issues pertaining to disaster and emergency events. Representatives from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, NECHAMA-Jewish Response to Disaster, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, United Methodist Committee on Relief, and The White House’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships are among those set to present during the conference. 

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National Conference on Volunteering and Service
June 18-20, 2012
McCormick Place West, 2301 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago
For registration and additional information, click here.  

Registration is currently open for the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Convened by Points of Light, the conference will feature over 100 workshops and bring together more than 5,000 service leaders to share new ideas for service, discuss challenges, and cultivate solutions through the power of people.  

NYDIS Honored by Lutheran Social Services of New York
In March, New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) was presented with the 2012 President’s Award for Servanthood Leadership in Social Ministry by Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY).  LSS was a founding member of NYDIS, consistently partnering with NYDIS over the past decade from 9/11, Katrina, the 2007 Brooklyn Tornado and providing immigrant legal services and case work to Haiti Earthquake evacuees for the past two years.  NYDIS was honored for “compassionate and holistic work in the face of disaster,” through its mission to “inspire, connect and provide resources for NYC faith communities serving in disaster to create an environment of social justice for all.” 

Visit the website

DNN: Responders Focus on (Tornado) Survivor Needs
This Disaster News Network article reports on the recovery efforts being made by various disaster response organizations in the wake of the recent tornado outbreak in Midwestern states. Among these organizations and services are notable faith-based entities such as the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), and the Salvation Army. In addition to rebuilding and long-term recovery efforts, these entities see to the spiritual support of disaster victims.

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JDRC Lends a Hand in Rebuilding Alabama
The volunteers of the Jewish Disaster Response Corps (JDRC) are keeping active this tornado season. With recent tornado outbreaks devastating neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama, volunteer workers from the St. Louis Hillel at Washington University and the Hillel at Metro Detroit are assisting local Birmingham communities to rebuild their homes. 

To view the photos, (Click Here).  

Muslim and Jewish Students Unite to Help Survivors
On March 5, the White House’s Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships reported on the recovery efforts carried out by Muslim and Jewish students in response to the recent tornado outbreak in Midwestern states. The brief article spotlights the cooperation between students from Bridges: Muslim Jewish Interfaith Dialogue at NYU and New York-based Jewish Disaster Response Corps (JDRC).

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UNC Report Calls Muslim Terrorism a ‘Minuscule Threat’
In this brief article, Omar Sacirbey of Religion News Service highlights key points made in a report by Charles Kurzman, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina and researcher at the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, who found that “the threat of homegrown Islamic terrorism is ‘tiny’ and often exaggerated by government officials.”

View the Report
Read the Article

How Disaster Chaplaincy Changed my Ministry
Bishop Greg Rickel of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia in Washington State shares personal insights into how disaster chaplaincy has enriched his ministry. His experiences have brought him to better understandings of the process of loss and healing. Bearing these lessons in mind, Bishop Rickel contemplates ways in which his diocese can be better trained and prepared for disasters.

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NYPD Muslim Surveillance: AG Holder Reviewing Spying Complaints
In this Associated Press article, Eileen Sullivan and Pete Yost report on the complaints and responses expressed towards the NYPD’s extensive surveillance of local Muslim communities. As reported, “the Justice Department is just beginning a review to decide whether to investigate civil rights violations.”  The article also mentions how “universities including Yale, Columbia and Rutgers have joined in criticizing the NYPD for infiltrating Muslim student groups and trawling their websites.”

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Religious Leaders Condemn Muslim Surveillance by the NYPD
In this Bergen County Record article by Nick Clunn, it is reported that “more than two dozen religious groups called on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to end the covert surveillance of Muslims, imploring him to partner with believers instead of allowing police to stalk them.” Leaders from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Sikh organization have voiced their disapproval in a signed letter submitted to the interdenominational Riverside Church in Manhattan.

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HP: NYPD, Muslims Are Americans Too
In this Huffington Post blog post, Jihad Al-Jabban responds to the NYPD’s mistreatment and surveillance of Muslim communities by defending the contributions and place of Muslim populations on the American landscape. Al-Jabban also contends that such backlash extends to other ethnic and religious groups, such as Hindus and Sikhs, who are mistakenly identified as Muslim.

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Number of Anti-Muslim Groups Tripled in 2011
In this Think Progress article, Eli Clifton discusses a report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center regarding the growth of Anti-Muslim groups, which jumped from 10 groups in 2010 to 30 in 2011. This growth is said to have “resulted from a growing political space for Islamophobia as politicians and anti-Muslim activists stirred up controversy over a planned Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan.”

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Behind the Backlash: Muslim American’s After 9/11
In this book by Lori Peek, 140 Muslim Americans voice their experiences with discrimination and harassment in both the pre- and post-9/11 world. Peek weaves these personal accounts into a narrative depicting blame and scapegoating resulting from a disaster that will continue to shape and inform discussions on religion, race relations and disaster research.

For more, (Click Here).

Clergy Self-Care

Self-Care after a Disaster
This comprehensive resource offered by Episcopal Relief and Development discusses helpful tips and lessons on self-care for clergy members. The document addresses the issues and dilemmas faced by clergy members in times of disaster or emergency, and further instructs on self-care methods in order to prevent and or remedy exhaustion, burnout, compassion fatigue and other emotional and spiritual downturns.

Resource: (Click Here)

Community Resilience

RAND Corporation’s Resilient Communities Podcast Series
In a podcast series presented by the RAND Corporation, RAND experts discuss the latest insights into how communities can strengthen their capacity to withstand and recover from disasters. Episodes have featured talks by Jordan R. Fischbach and Admiral Thad Allen.

Listen to Podcast: (Click Here)

Cultural Competence

Emergency Managers Tool Kit: Meeting the Needs of Latino Communities
This toolkit is designed for emergency managers and other emergency responders to ensure that the Latino/Hispanic residents of their cities, counties, and states receive necessary information and assistance to prepare for, survive, and recover from public emergencies and disasters. The text is accompanied by a CD-ROM and additional materials that can be accessed on the website.  

Toolkit: (Click Here)

Elderly

Fire Safety for Older Adults
Fire Safety for Older Adults is a campaign implemented by the USFA to inform adults over the age of 50 and others on how to lessen the risk of dying in a fire. Campaign materials instruct on how to practice safe cooking, smoking and heating at home in order to prevent unintentional fires.
 
Website & Resources: (Click Here)

Families

Do 1 Thing: Small Steps Toward Being Prepared for an Emergency
Do 1 Thing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building stronger communities, outlines a comprehensive 12-month program that simplifies the task of developing emergency and disaster preparedness. With simple, easy-to-follow steps and exercises, individuals, groups and communities can equip themselves with basic knowledge on how to navigate emergency situations.

Website: (Click Here)

Flooding

Ready.gov and FEMA
Review vital tips, information, tools and resources on how to prevent flooding and how to act in the event of a flood emergency.

Website: (Click Here)

Ready New York and the National Flood Insurance Program
Learn how to lower your risk for floods, as well as how to recover from a flood disaster, with tips and information provided by Ready New York: Flooding and The National Flood Insurance Program. 

 

Special Needs

Training: Preparedness for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Developed by the Westchester Institute for Human Development, My Safety, My Responsibility, My Plan is a multi-session program designed to train adults with intellectual disabilities how to prepare for and better understand emergency situations.

Program: (Click Here)

Volunteer Management

25 Tips for Optimizing Online Communication with Volunteers
Energize, Inc recently released 25 Tips for Optimizing Online Communication with Volunteers. This five-page resource provides basic tips in communicating more effectively with volunteers.

More at: (Click Here)

The Use of Social Media for Disaster Recovery
Developed by JoplinTornado.info and the University of Missouri Extension, this resource provides lessons learned while creating and managing “Joplin Tornado Info” (2011) on Facebook and further implemented with “Branson Tornado Info” (2012). The resource makes note of how faith-based organizations, groups and individuals are an integral part of recovery efforts.

For additional information, (Click Here).

NHO: Social Media and Intelligence-Gathering
In this Natural Hazards Observer article, Dan Whipple reports on how social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are used by terrorists groups to recruit members and track military information by monitoring the social network activity of soldiers in the Middle East. However, terrorist organizations are not alone in gathering vital information via social networking sites; The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has an Open Source Center that gathers information from social media, which is then cross-referenced with other data gathered from sources such as newspapers and intercepted phone calls.

Read article (Page 10)

NYC Citizen Corps Council’s New Tumblr Page
Follow the NYC Citizen Corps Council on Tumblr for information on their upcoming events, including the Volunteer Development Program, Immigrant Task Force Speakers Series, Partners in Preparedness and National Preparedness Month, as well as their emergency preparedness resources. 

More at: (Click Here)  

NYC Citizen Corps Council News
The NYC Citizen Corps Council News is a weekly communication used to inform organizational representatives about NYC Citizen Corps Council initiatives, member initiatives, news, and emergency preparedness and volunteer resources. Having received positive review by readers, this weekly communication seeks to continuously expand its distribution and reach. To submit information and announcements or to recommend an organization that would benefit from this resource, please contact Justin Land at citizencorps@oem.nyc.gov.  

More at: (Click Here)

Northeaster, NY Hurricane Relief and Recovery Guide
Released earlier in March, the Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene and Lee Relief and Recovery Assistance Guide for the Northeast Region of New York provides information on various programs, resources and agencies.

To review the Guide, (Click Here)

Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care– A Practical Clergy & Chaplain’s Handbook
This handbook is the first general comprehensive resource for spiritual and pastoral care. It offers the latest theological perspectives and tools, along with research, concepts, basic theory and skills from leading pastoral and spiritual care texts. Contributors are experts in their respective fields and include eight current or past presidents of the major chaplaincy organizations.

Published by: (Click Here)

Creating Recovery: Values and Approaches in New York after 9/11
In this book, author David Mammen recounts New York City’s quest towards recovery after the September 11 attacks. Discussed are the various politicians, institutions, policies, and programs that emerged after the event through to its ten-year anniversary, and while the recovery process is winding down, there remains important lessons to be learned of the disaster and its aftermath. 

Published by: (Click Here)

Surviving Disaster: A New PBS Documentary
Based on Amanda Ripley’s book, The Unthinkable, the PBS documentary Surviving Disaster deconstructs how the brain responds to life-or-death events. The documentary touches on survivor stories from all sorts of traumatic experiences, from tsunami to car crashes, and lends itself to a discussion on how faith factors into the process of healing and rebuilding. PBS stations will broadcast the documentary nationwide beginning in March.

Watch the PBS Preview
For more information, (Click Here).

The National VOAD Long-Term Recovery Guide  
The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) recently drafted an updated Long-Term Recovery Guide, which outlines essential information on the various issues and aspects relating to the long term recovery process. The chapter on spiritual care may be of particular interest to faith communities, congregations, groups and organizations in need of guidance on how to navigate and manage matters pertaining to community spiritual assessment, conducting spiritual care interventions to rekindle hope, organizing memorial and remembrance services, addressing spiritual and emotional issues around anniversary aimes and providing retreat opportunities for care givers. 

To view the Guide, click (Click Here).

Volunteer Development Program Workshops

National Weather Service SKYWARN Storm Spotter Workshop
Wednesday, April 18: 6:30pm-8:30pm
165 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn
To register, email your name, full contact information, volunteer organization affiliation, need for kosher meal, title and date of workshop to Meagan Van Harte at certtraining@oem.nyc.gov. Space is limited. A light dinner will be provided. 

This workshop trains volunteers to help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Summer Internships-NYC OEM
The NYC Office of Emergency Management is currently recruiting interested individuals to serve as Summer Interns. The Summer 2012 Internship Program will run from June-August 2012. The list of opportunities continues to expand.

For additional information, click here.  

Summer Opportunities for Students
With vacancies in Maryland, Georgia and New York, these paid positions within the Department of Homeland Security offer an opportunity to engage in meaningful and rewarding work. Open to high school and college students. Applications are currently being accepted.

For details, click here.

Welcome to iNET, the e-newsletter of the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN).

It’s been six month since our last issue. We apologize for our absence; we needed to take a few months off to complete some strategic planning and volunteer/staff development. We will now resume our regular monthly publishing schedule.

During the month of February, there were five Major Disaster Declarations in five states, all related to extreme weather or flooding. In March, to date, there have been six new Declarations for severe weather, including three for a string of tornados impacting the South and Midwest which killed 38 people in 10 states.

As always, please keep all communities who are in long-term recovery, and their caregivers, in your prayers – and give generously to National VOAD agencies, established disaster interfaiths and long-term recovery committees. Please donate or lend a volunteer hand in recovery efforts; please contact our office for suggestions or reach out to your National VOAD partners!

If you have questions or comments about iNET, or if you have news that you want to submit to us, please e-mail Ariana Alejandro, editor, at editor@n-din.org.

Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div.
President, Board of Directors