Only You Can Prevent a Second Disaster
In the halls of relief agencies everywhere they talk about what is often called the "second disaster." A second disaster is the flood of donated goods and volunteers that arrive on the scene with no place to go.
It happens in the weeks following nearly every major disaster-people with the best intentions send items they know survivors sorely need to churches or institutions in the affected area. The problem is distribution. Relief supplies like clothing, food, water, and first aid kits are needed after a disaster. However, they need to go to a place that can properly distribute them. Sometimes it is better for these items to be procured locally. Sometimes it is better to purchase them new. For example, Processing used clothing is labor intensive and time consuming. Clothes must be examined for wear and appropriateness, sorted, and cleaned. This time-consuming activity takes away from other needed tasks in the days and weeks following a disaster.
This brings us to the next tide of the second disaster: volunteers. Compassionate people from all corners come to a disaster site to help. However, if no one knows you are coming, no one can put you to work. It is much better to go with a group or agency that already has contacts in the area. Some disaster areas are unsafe and need to be secured by trained professionals. Some areas lack accommodations and advance notice is needed to provide space for volunteers to sleep, eat, and bathe.
How do you prevent a second disaster?
If you want to donate relief supplies or your time to assist in disaster recovery, make a few phone calls.
Relief Supplies: Contact UMCOR Sager Brown to find out their needs and how to ship the items to the depot. The UMCOR Sager Brown Depot is the relief supply warehouse for United Methodists. The depot ships supplies in the US and abroad. The staff has the appropriate connections, equipment, and know-how to distribute needed items to disaster survivors.
Volunteers: Contact your Jurisdictional Volunteer Coordinator for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) to find out what teams are departing from your area and how you can be involved. The UMVIM staff works with affected annual conferences and with partners overseas to ensure that volunteers have meaningful work to do and a safe place to stay while they are there.
