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Disaster Response

Didymus has worked different disasters. He has responded to house fires, floods, hurricanes, and others. He worked Hurricane Irene, Harvey, Maria and Florence. He has had an active role as a firefighter, or with the other nationally known VOAD partners. When deployed, his primary role is to work with the spiritual care of the people effected. He provides a calming presence and usually finds a way to personally connect with those effected as well as the disaster workers, which he is also deployed with. On deployment, he also works with other emergency workers, including firefighters, EMS, and law enforcement. Didymus also is trained in many other aspects of disaster response than just spiritual care. He assists whatever function needs him at that time. He has adopted the condition on being highly adaptable and flexible. His primary concern is to assist the person effected to try to connect them with the proper people that can assist, if he is not able to provide the solution himself.


Didymus was asked, in 2019, to sit on a panel at a police chaplains conference, by the state's Office of the Attorney General. He discussed what spiritual care looks like, after a disaster, the type of disasters that spiritual care is present, how he has seen it change, the importance for spiritual care providers to have their own spiritual care provider to talk with to minister to them, and the importance to meet the client where they are, in their spiritual walk.


 

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Disaster classifications responded to

Hurricanes

Hurricane Florence,  Hurricane Harvey,  Hurricane Irene,  Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Irma, Super Storm Sandy 

Fires

Too numerous to count; including apartment buildings, buildings with multiple deaths, multiple buildings

Transportation Accidents

Planes, trains, trucks and vehicles

Help Our Cause

Your support and contribution can assist Didymus to continue the work that he does. He has supported himself in his training and his outreach to people in shelters and people in crisis. This will enable him to meet further his education and help and improve other people’s living conditions. Your generous donation will fund his mission. Thank you

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Articles

What Do You Have To Offer?

I  have been watching about all of the disasters that have been happening.  As part of the fire service, I responded to calls during Hurricane  Irene, Super Storm Sandy and more than I can remember. 


As  responders and caring people, we want to help. We raise money to send  to help others. We gather new toys, new clothes, things needed for the  household, whatever we can. We send it to places in need and hope that  it makes a difference. We as a family of responders cannot sit on the  side lines. I have the honor to be able to respond to places effected by  hurricanes. I was able to speak to other responders and some stories  need to get out, like the police officer that did not need money from  the overtime that he received from working security at the shelters. He  took the money that he earned and put it in the visor of his cruiser. He  was able to take the money and put it in the hands of people who were  in need. No forms. No waiting. Immediately helping.


I  don’t know about you but I do not have all that money. My mind went to a  person that I had heard about at the gate of a temple. The man was lame  from birth and had to beg to survive. We have seen people begging many  times, especially in certain areas. Well, Peter and John were going into  the temple. Peter looked at the man and said to him, “Silver and gold I  do not have, BUT what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus, rise  up and walk.” And the man was able to walk and leap. Acts 3


I  know that all of us cannot do a miracle; but what can we do? What do we  have to give? You would be surprised at what we have to give. First  responders love to give. You give of yourselves on calls. We have our  strength. We have our time. There are others things very important to  the people who have gone through a disaster that also means so much. You  have compassion. You have ears to listen to someone’s story. When I  working in shelters, I was asked many questions by so many people. Where  are my animals? What time is the next meal? So many questions that I  had to research the answers because I did not have the answers. We don’t  always need to have the answer. I was able to help some elderly people  get their meals since they did not have the mobility. I was able to try  to get a table, so some could play dominoes but I want to share something  that will stay with me forever.


I  was in a shelter and an older gentleman came up to me. He asked me if I  was the chaplain. I said “yes, I am”. “You’re a man of God?” “Yes, I  am.” Then came the best question “can I have a hug?” “Of course you  can.” The man put his head on my right shoulder as he hugged and then  the left shoulder for another hug. He looked at me and asked if I would  pray for him. I told him that I would. As I was going to pray with him  there, he put his head on my right shoulder for a hug, then the left  side for another hug and then he went away crying. He may have lost  everything, or may have been homeless before everything started. I don’t  know. But his need was so simple. He needed human contact.


We  take for granted how much we can help people, just by being there. If  the only reason that I went to work in the shelters for two weeks was to  give that hug, then it was worth the trip.


Think  of how many opportunities you may have to really have an impact on  someone’s life. What do you have to offer? What skills? Do you have ears  to listen with compassion? Arms to come around someone who may have  nothing?


God  has blessed us all so much. We may not be wealthy but as we live life  the most important thing that we can give is … ourselves.


Thank  you to all our brothers and sisters who have been responded in the  times of tragedy. Thank you to those who took care of their families and  as soon as they were safe, kept responding to calls to help others.


It  is an honor to be associated with people who give of themselves. It was  a pleasure to work with people from New Hampshire to Washington state,  Alaska, Hawaii and the entire country.

Who knows, maybe others will take other training for disasters and maybe I will see you in the shelters.


What does a trash bag mean to you?

 Let's think about what happens when we get a call for a house or apartment. 


The  alarm comes in and we board our bright shiny fire apparatus, we make it  through the traffic to the location, we connect to the hydrant, do a  search and then work on suppression, then overhaul. But something may be  missing. Where is the client in this equation? Are they on the other  side of the barrier tape? Are they dressed? Who is there for the  unfortunate person? I know the answer is the Red Cross, but who is there  for them until they show up?


We  know that when the call is over, if we have a bad call, we can get help  through the crisis team. The client is standing there, watching their  life go into ruins. Do you have someone to put a blanket around them?  Who takes them to a safe place so their trauma is reduced? So many times  we may not understand what our client is going through in the hour or  so until the Red Cross shows up, if someone called for them.


Fire  is a thief, but worse than a thief. The thief comes into the house and  steals the television, or computer or something that THEY think is  valuable. Fire comes in a destroys everything, things that are worth  money and things that are worth memories.


Many  of us have not experienced what a client really goes. Let's put on a  new set of glasses. Your house is on fire. You may have been pulled out  of the house or gotten out before it got too bad. You hear the crash of  windows and see the roof cut open. You are standing watching things  being destroyed by the fire. You may be in your pajamas, because during  fire prevention you were told to get out fast. After the fire, you see  that they are bringing out your sofa, television, computer, etc. You are  given a trash bag, the same ones that are used in the fire station. You  are told to gather all your possessions and put them in the bag and  that you will only be able to go back into the house once, before it is  razed or you are not allowed entry. You may or may not be able to use  your car. Oh wait, your phone and all the phone numbers and insurance  policies were burned in the fire, or stored on the computer, that is  laying on the front lawn.


Let  us put ourselves in their place. How would we want to be treated or  worked with during the fire? During our time of crisis? How many of your  needs from Maslow's hierarchy of needs are being met? 


Maybe  your department can teach your crews how to work with the clients.  Maybe your department can do a drill with the Red Cross, where your  people are put into a shelter, as a client. Go to another town during a  big fire. Do not buff the job. Observe. Watch the people. Watch the  emotions. Find out how you can truly help your neighbor, the client, the  victim.


Stay Safe


Forgotten Victims?

 I  have a story that is so cute that I need to share it. It pulled at my  heart strings as well as the pockets of my cargo pants, you’ll see.


As  people from Puerto Rico are coming in to Newark Airport, on  humanitarian flights, the Red Cross is there to greet them. Comfort kits  are given out and children receive Mickey Mouse figures, stuffed.


As  I was walking around to hand out items, I was carrying the kits and had  Mickeys in the pockets of my cargo pants and Red Cross vest, to give to  the children. Well, I was talking with a family and felt something  playing with my pants. I looked down and what did I see? A golden  retriever service dog. He was sniffing at the Mickey and lightly  tugging. I was talking with the family and they told me that his  favorite toy that he had was…….a stuffed Mickey that was lost in  Hurricane Maria. The dog needed comfort himself. I reached down and felt  the one that the 8 year old dog was tugging at. Yes, the Mickey was a  little moist from the dog’s mouth. I gave the toy to the family for the  dog.


How do we take care of the animals that take care of the humans? These are the silent heroes that mean so much.


Just had to share.  


Resources

Disaster Supplies

Disaster Relief Organizations


The Adventist Community Services 

Adventist Disaster Response 

Amanda Margaret Universal Relief Team 

America Results 

American Radio Relay Services 

Billy Graham Rapid Response Team 

Brethren Disaster Ministries 

Catholic Charities USA 

Children’s Disaster Services 

Christian Church Disciple of Christ 

Christian Disaster Response 

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee 

Church World Service Disaster Response 

Convoy of Hope 

Corporation for National Service 

Direct Relief 

Disaster Ministries United Church of Christ 

Enterprise Works 

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishops Fund For World Relief 

Episcopal Relief and Development 

Feeding America 

Friends Disaster Service 

Habitat for Humanity 

Headwaters Relief Organization 

Heart to Heart International 

Hope Coalition 

ICNA Relief USA Disaster Response Services 

International Association of Jewish Vocational Services 

International Orthodox Christian Charities 

International Relief Friendship Foundation 

Institute for Congregational Trauma and Growth 

Islamic Relief 

The Jewish Federations of North America 

Lutheran Disaster Response 

Mennonite Disaster Response  

MHA-NYC Innovations in Mental Health 

Missions to North America 

National Disaster Response 

National Emergency Response Team 

NCM.org 

NOVA 

Partnership with Native Americans 

Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors 

Points of Light Institute  

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance 

React International  

Rebuilding Together 

Rubicon 

Salvation Army 

Samaritans Purse International Relief Save the Children 

Society of St Vincent de Paul 

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief 

Tzu Chi 

UJA Federations of North America 

Umcor 

United Way 

United Methodist Committee on Relief 

Volunteers of America 

World Vision

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    The resources listed are informational. Many have been looked at and many of them Didymus has or does not have any affiliation to. The user is reminded to investigate the resources and the user takes full responsibility with the outcome. By reviewing information on this page, the user will hold the owner of this website harmless of any actions that the user or any of the resources take

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