A Note from the Director

Thank you for visiting our website, as the Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response it has been our honor to witness the work that has been done over the last six years.  Truly we have helped “the Least, the Last and the Lost” of our communities.  In most cases, we are have ministered with the poorest of our society.

 

Through the guidance and assistance from United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), our board of directors, we have been able to help over 100,000 people in our state to recover from four hurricanes, three tornados and floods both in the northern and southern ends of our conference.  We collaborated ecumenically and assisted clients regardless of their religious affiliations.  At the same time, we have trained over 250 congregations to be prepared for any disaster they could face in their community.

 

As the director of the program, I have been blessed to lead recovery efforts. We have witnessed not only the blessing of the staff that has worked for the ministries, but the heart of our ministries has been and will continue to be the 92,000 plus volunteers that have come from every state in the union and 35 countries from around the world.  As a representative of the Louisiana Annual Conference, I have worked with non-governmental, federal and state agencies.  I have testified before sub-committees helping to reshape the future response of both state and federal agencies for the next major disaster in our country.

 

As you read this page, the question you might have is “Do we still need your services as volunteers and if so, where?”

 

The answer is “YES!”

 

We continue to respond in the name of Jesus Christ and the people of the United Methodist Church when called upon.  Currently, we are assisting in the recovery of people in the New Orleans region through our partnership with Epworth Project (http://www.epworthproject.com) and in Rayne, Louisiana as a response to the March 3^rd tornado (http://www.laumcstormrelief.com).

 

We are continuing to train our clergy and congregations to be prepared for the needs of their community when a disaster happens in their back doors.

 

In closing, we are proud of the work we have done in partnership with all the volunteers, with the congregations of The Louisiana Annual Conference, how our economic impact to the State of Louisiana of $103,500,000 for the value of service that our volunteers offered with free labor and the funds that we received both from UMCOR, non-government and government agencies of $33,695,707 giving  a grand total of free labor and real dollars to support our work of $137,195,707.

 

“We've done our part.

And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the LA Disaster Recovery revolution, the men and women across the world who for six years did the work that brought Louisiana back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the cities stronger. We made the cities freer, and we left her in good hands.

 

All in all, not bad, not bad at all”.

 

Shalom

 

 

Darryl A. Tate

Conference Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response

 

527 North Blvd

Baton Rouge, La 70802

Office (225) 346-1646 ext 223

Cell (225) 303-3293