New York, N.Y. – As part of its ongoing work in support of recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy, global humanitarian agency Church World Service will present a series of long-term recovery trainings in the outer boroughs of New York City, March 4-7.
The three planned workshops in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn are designed to provide those working to help communities rebuild and recover with “an overview of long-term recovery and to share lessons learned and best practices gathered from decades of experience in large and small disasters,” said CWS staffer Barry Shade.
The workshops follow three earlier trainings in New Jersey and two in suburban New York City.
“Recovery from a disaster requires a whole-community approach,” said Shade, CWS’s associate director for domestic emergency response.
CWS is working with a number of agencies to conduct the training, including FEMA, New Jersey Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster (VOAD), Lutheran Disaster Response, World Renew, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the New Jersey Emergency Management Agency, United Methodist Committee on Relief and the United Church of Christ.
Where / When
Monday, March 4: First Presbyterian, 89-60 164th Street, Queens, N.Y.
Wednesday, March 6: Church of the Gateway, 200 Boscombe Ave. (at Page Ave & Outer Bridge), Staten Island, N.Y.
Thursday March 7: St. Mark’s United Methodist 2017 Beverly Road, Brooklyn, N.Y.
All of the sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 4:30 p.m.
Who
Among those urged to attend are people involved in long-term recovery leadership, faith based groups, religious leaders, community leaders, social service organizations, disaster case managers and others concerned about recovery.
Registration is strongly recommended. Although people may come without registration, it will be helpful to have a good idea of the number of persons at each site to provide lunch, handouts and other materials.
To register: Email Alisa.Brumfield@fema.dhs.gov with the following information:
- First & Last Name
- Phone number
- Agency Name
- Date/Location of session you would like to attend.
Persons can register for the session most convenient for them regardless of location. Please also indicate any dietary restrictions.
Along with providing emergency relief supplies, CWS makes community level long-term recovery assistance a priority. In recent years, the agency has used training seminar formats to maximize sharing of its expertise, and has provided grants to startup groups.
Building grassroots recovery infrastructure to help the poorest – those who are uninsured, under-insured or as yet unserved by other sources – is part of CWS’s emergency response work, and a cornerstone of the agency’s global focus on advance preparedness to reduce the risks of disasters.
Planned topics for the day-long seminars include: Long-term recovery issues; community needs assessment; construction volunteers and management; disaster case management; emotional and spiritual care; FEMA individual assistance; and the national donations management system.
There is no cost for the training, lunch or materials. The training is a gift of CWS and the faith groups providing leadership. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is supporting this training by providing travel and lodging expenses for the leaders.
CWS is a global relief, sustainable development and refugee assistance agency, addressing the root causes of poverty and hunger around the world. As part of its work, CWS has a domestic disaster response program.