|
Disaster Response Committee Report Dear fellow Chaplains: I have just returned from a week in San Antonio, where at the request of the SAPD, I have been helping to organize spiritual care for the displaced citizens from Hurricane Katrina. To date the state of Texas has taken in over 250,000 persons and is providing shelter, food, medical, psychological, and spiritual care to each. San Antonio is accommodating about 7,200. This has been done largely through local resources and with local volunteer personnel. Only now is federal assistance coming on board. The stories are heartrending, the need is overwhelming, the scope unimaginable. Our spirits go out to all who have been effected by this disaster and all who are serving to give aid to those who suffer. Your prayers are desperately needed. The ICPC is receiving requests for chaplain support from police and other civil authorities in the storm’s path, as well as throughout the eight state area surrounding Louisiana and Mississippi where displaced persons are being sheltered in ever increasing numbers. Even if you have not received you Disaster Response Certification yet, but are qualified and available to respond to this disaster, please contact the Destin Office who is coordinating the response at 850-654-9736 or icpc.gccoxmail.com This will be a long-term response, so if you have availability in a few weeks let them know as well. Do not go to the affected areas on your own. It is not safe. You will be a liability rather than a help at this time. The greatest resource we have at this time is the hundreds of Chaplains, Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, and other spiritual practitioners already in established positions of leadership and service throughout the effected areas. They are the “front line troops” doing the work at this time, but they will soon exhaust their resources, both spiritual and physical, and they will need to stand down and ask others pick up the tasks at hand. It will be this one-on-one request from fellow chaplains, fellow denominational pastors, denominational leadership, and other relief organizations that will soon be coming to you. I know we can count on your wholehearted participation. I know many of you cannot drop what you are doing and help right now, but you can enable others who are available to serve. If you are able to conduct any fund raising activity, or even dip into your own benevolent resources, please help us by supporting the Disaster Response Fund. Checks, money orders, etc. may be sent to: “ICPC Disaster Response Fund” International Conference of Police Chaplains, P.O. Box 5590, Destin, Florida 32540-5590. I will continue to keep you updated. Dr. Wayne Whitelock, CMC
|