Disaster Relief - Reach & Restore

Resurrection's Reach & Restore Ministry's purpose is to serve others and share Christ when an unexpected disaster or crisis has damaged the security of individuals, families, and communities.  Reach & Restore demonstrates the love and hope found in Christ through practical and significant acts of kindness, mercy, witness and care.  

There are many opportunities to serve with Reach & Restore:

  • Attend the Emergency Preparedness Fair
  • Be an Emergency-Responder for Regional Disasters 
  • Join the Chainsaw Brigade
  • Take C.E.R.T Training
  • Join the Fire Relief Kit Team
  • Participate on a Katrina Disaster Relief Trip
  • Participate on an Iowa Flood Relief Trip 

See the links below and events to the right for details.

Get Involved

  1. Emergency Response Team

    The Church of the Resurrection responded amazingly to Reach & Restore's call to help us equip our new Disaster Relief Trailer in September 2007.  We now have a fully stocked trailer ready to respond to local disasters!  We have already been called out to respond to 3 disasters this spring.

    We are now training individuals and forming teams for this ministry.    We need your help!  Here's how the process works:

    • When there is a disaster the Reach & Restore team is contacted by the incident command center.
    • The "Emergency Response Team" will deploy when we are invited in by the command center, not before.
    • The team's help is usually needed within 1-3 weeks following the disaster.
    • The team is usually only given 24-72 hours notice for the request to help.
    • Once the official request is receive, notification is sent out to the "Emergency Response Calling List" for help.
    • The team deploys from Resurrection with the Reach & Restore Trailer with the volunteers who respond to the call.

    To join the Emergency Response Regional Disaster Relief Team, and be added to the calling list, sign-up for the "Volunteer Opportunity" to the right, or contact Ed Schulteis at eds@mscloan.com or 913-908-8163.

  2. Chainsaw Brigade

    Resurrection's Reach & Restore ministry has started a new team to help respond with local relief, including tornados, ice storms, and other disasters.  The first step of disaster relief is often debris removal.  Little work can be done until the debris is cleared for emergency vehicles and construction teams. 

    In response to this need, we are training teams on chainsaw operation, safety, and maintenance that can then be deployed following a local disaster or storm.  For upcoming training dates, review the upcoming events to the right or contact us at the information below.

    For more information about joining the Chainsaw Brigade please contact Dick Baumgartner at dbaumgartner@cacu.com or 913-488-7065.

  3. C.E.R.T Training

    As a part of Resurrection Reach & Restore's goal to become first responders in the aftermath of natural disasters and crisis, we are now forming C.E.R.T. Teams.  These Community Emergency Response Teams (C.E.R.T.) go through through training exercises to learn how to respond in a disaster.  For upcoming training, please review event dates to the right or contact us at the information below.

    To learn more about C.E.R.T. Training at Resurrection please contact Jerry O'Donnell at jerryo@cbmrep.com or 913-491-4783.

  4. Fire Relief Kits

    Resurrection Reach & Restore is forming a new ministry to reach out to our neighbors in the Kansas City area and provide relief following a home fire.  This team is working with Red Cross to be alerted of a families need in the aftermath of a fire and preparing relief kits with basic kitchen appliance needs.  This is a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with others in our area in a time of need.

    To learn more about how you can help with the Fire Kit Ministry please contact Anita Renault arenault1@comcast.net or Marilynn Willams at mari-lynn@embarqmail.com.

  5. Katrina Disaster Relief Trips

    Volunteer teams continue to form to assist those who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Most teams work out of the Disaster Coordination Site located at Camp Gulfside in Waveland, Mississippi, though at peak times other teams are working elsewhere in Mississippi or the New Orleans area.

    Teams take on assignments available at the time of their trip. Work varies from assisting homeowners with the removal of appliances, cabinets, drywall, insulation, and debris left in and outside their homes following the hurricane, to the eradication of mold. In most cases, rebuilding has begun, and teams are installing insulation, drywall, roofing, etc.  No experience is needed, as there are tasks to fit every level of expertise and physical ability.

    As important as any of the physical labor is the role teams play in listening to the stories of each homeowner, offering them hope and helping them cope with the trauma they have experienced.

    Dates for upcoming trips are listed to the right.  For more information about the trip, select the date in which you are interested. Or check out the "You Pick It" option described below.

    "You Pick It" Date

    If a group of four or more would like to participate in a date other than listed to the right, then you pick the date and let the Disaster Relief team know. Here is all you have to do to be on your way to the Gulf Coast:

    • Recruit four or more individuals to join you on a Disaster Relief Mission Trip to the Gulf Coast
    • Select a date four to six months in the future that works for everyone. The camps fill up quickly, so a four to six month lead time is needed to ensure your accommodations.
    • Contact Carl Hopkins at carl_hopkins@yahoo.com or 913-681-0787 to let him know of your interest, the date your team wants to start the trip, and the number of team members.
    • Wait for Carl to set up the logistics for your team, and once confirmed, hold your pre-trip team meeting as well as attending the required Disaster Relief training and orientation.

    Once everything is confirmed, a trip code will be established and your team may start the application process that is shown below.

    Disaster Relief Trip Application Process

    The following steps must be completed in order to participate in a Church of the Resurrection Disaster Relief Mission Trip:

    STEP 1

    Complete a Disaster Relief Trip Application (Form D-A) and send it to:

    • The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
      Missions Office - ATTN: Charlotte O'Keefe
      13720 Roe Avenue
      Leawood, KS 66224-3588

    You must include with your application a check for $60.00 to cover your housing at churches and/or a camp where you will stay during your trip. Please make your check payable to Church of the Resurrection and put the trip code on the memo line. Applications will not be accepted without the $60.00 housing fee.

    STEP 2

    Once your application has been accepted, you will receive a welcome letter with a date the additional forms must be completed and returned to Charlotte O'Keefe. These forms include:

    For a youth, age 14 through 17, will be participating in a Disaster Relief Mission Trip, a parent or legal guardian must also complete the Parental Consent Form for Disaster Relief Trip (Form D-G). This form must also be notarized.

    STEP 3

    Attend the required Team Meeting and Disaster Relief Orientation. If you will be participating in a Family Trip that includes one or more youth, and you are 16 years of age or older, you must also attend Child Protection Training or Safe and Sacred Spaces.  Click here for dates . For additional classes offered in the Kansas City area, visit the Kansas East Conference website: www.kansaseast.org.

    If a person is denied certification as a result of the KBI background check, or the State's Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) check, the $60 housing fee will be refunded. All KBI and SRS checks are done through the Kansas East Conference of The United Methodist Church, and all information related to these investigations is kept confidential. Applicants will not be notified of the reason for denial.

    For more information about Katrina Relief Mission Trips, please contact Carl Hopkins at carl_hopkins@yahoo.com or 913-681-0787. Also look at FAQ about participating in a Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Mission Trip.

  6. Iowa Flood Relief Trips

    In June 2008, the state of Iowa experienced wide-spread flooding due to severe storms and continuous rains.  Entire towns were evacuated and 80 of the 99 counties in Iowa were declared disaster areas.  The communities of Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Waterloo/Cedar Falls were amoung some of the hardest hit. 

    Businesses and home-owners have been working hard to clean and rebuild where they can.  Many people are still in great need of assistance to help muck-out and tear down drywall in their home so they can begin the rebuilding process. 

    Church of the Resurrection is prepared to equip volunteer teams to assist in the flood relief in Iowa. The Reach & Restore Emergency Response Team has already sent 2 teams of volunteers in to help in Iowa City and Waterloo.  Going forward there will be ongoing opportunities available for weekend mission trips to these areas and Cedar Rapids starting in October 2008.  Watch for specific details and dates under "Upcoming Trips" to see how you can get involved.

    For more information about Iowa Flood Relief Trips, please contact Liz Blake at lizkc56@yahoo.com or 913-766-1092.    

For More Information

For more information or questions about how you can get involved in Resurrection Reach and Restore contact Becky Larsen at becky.larsen@sylvanks.com or 913-402-6701.