Flood Recovery Workshops to be Held in Greeley, Loveland, Boulder


November 26, 2013

Residents of Longmont, CO clean up their home after the area was flooded. Photo: Patsy Lynch/FEMA

Residents of Longmont, CO clean up their home after the area was flooded. Photo: Patsy Lynch/FEMA

Day-long workshops on long-term recovery from disaster will be held Dec. 10 in Greeley, 11 in Loveland, and 12 in Boulder, Colo. The focus will be on meeting unmet needs of survivors of devastating storms and flooding in September.

The free “Recovery Tools and Training” workshops, developed by the ecumenical humanitarian agency Church World Service, are for long-term recovery leadership, faith-based groups, religious and other community leaders, social service organizations, disaster case managers and other persons with funds, goods, labor and expertise to contribute to the flood recovery.

“Recovery from a disaster event requires a whole-community approach,” said CWS Emergency Response Specialist Susanne Gilmore of Manhattan, Kansas.  “This workshop gives an overview of long-term recovery and shares lessons learned and best practices gathered from decades of experience in large and small disasters.”

Participants will gain an understanding of the long-term recovery process and of how to coordinate its many components.  These include identifying disaster survivors most in need, disaster case management, construction management, fundraising, emotional and spiritual care, health and safety in disaster recovery, and management of financial, in-kind and volunteer resources, including FEMA Individual Assistance and other federal programs.

Each workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with check in from 8:30 to 9 a.m.  Venues and dates:

  • Weld County – Weld County Training Center, 1104 H Street, Greeley  – Tuesday, December 10
  • Larimer County – First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 2000 N. Lincoln Ave., Loveland  – Wednesday, December 11
  • Boulder County – St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 4215 Grinnell Ave., Boulder – Thursday, December 12

Presenters will include Ku’ulei Funn and Susanne Gilmore from CWS, Cathy Earl from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Carolyn and Dave Thalman from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Tom and Marge Hoogeboom from World Renew, and Dale and Jeannie Peercy from Lutheran Disaster Response.

Registration is strongly recommended before Dec. 6.  Please email Susanne Gilmore at sgilmore@cwsglobal.org or phone her at 785-477-7823 and give your name, phone number, email address, and training date.