Responding to Rita

It looks as if those of you in the Houston area will be in the same position that we have following Katrina. We were just missed by the severity, so we had the ability to respond. One significant difference is the amount of federal response that was staged prior to the landfall of Rita. I hope that makes a significant difference to those experiencing the worst of Rita now.

As you get ready to respond, here are a few tips.
1. Know what you can and can't do. You will have people telling you what you should do, and if you listen to them all, you will be doing everything. Look at your resources and make a strategic decision about what you can do best, and think in terms of weeks, not days. If you can set up housing, great. If you can set up mobile feeding stations, great. Maybe it's rescue teams, chainsaw teams or in our case, collecting and distributing supplies. Whatever it is, choose wisely.
2. Get your plan to your leadership. Leaders lead, and if they do not know your plan, they will create on of their own. You can't afford to have an internal struggle over limited resources right now.
3. Announce your plan to your church or community. Let them know that they are not going to see a repeat of the Katrina response, and that people are counting on help.
4. Invite others to join your effort. Find every way possible to let those in your church and community know what you are doing, and ask them to be a part of that effort. Have sign ups for those interested in helping and work the list. Do not use the same people that you always can count on. Disaster response reaches people on a level that may have never had an interest in serving before. You will be amazed at the gifts they will bring.

Remember, this is potentially a long commitment. With the resources stretched so thin with Katrina, Rita's victims will need you.