Disaster Response
Our church is here to help...
Planning Hurricane Preparedness
"It is our hope that this information will help us prepare for a future that won't happen. It is a great honor to serve in a community that has shown its true colors during the aftermath of Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina and Dennis. I pray we don't experience another such tragedy of that magnitude, but working together through Christ, we can withstand all things." Jack Kale, Pastor Compassion Ministries
We have come a long way since Hurricane Ivan, and the pain and experience of dealing with nature's destructive forces has improved our practice and preparation as individuals, community, and family of faith.
As the disaster response coordinating pastor, I have met with some of our most experienced leaders in our church and community to help make sure that we are as ready as possible to responsibly respond, coordinate, and dispatch assistance in the event of a hurricane. Our team has made some notes to assist and guide you in the event of an impending hurricane.
-Take care of your home and family first
-Stock up on enough water and non-perishable food for 7 days.
-Board up windows or put up shutters
-Plan for your pets
-Test personal generators
-Test and run chainsaws, lanterns, portable stoves, and other tools
-Review your homeowner's insurance policy and make any necessary adjustments (Once a storm is named in the Gulf of Mexico, you most likely won't be able to make any adjustments in your policy, so handle this before a storm is brewing.)
-Help you neighbor
-Our church responsibilities following a hurricane:
-GBUMC provides childcare for emergency workers
-GBUMC provides meals for emergency workers
-GBUMC dispatches work teams in coordination with other Methodist churches and community groups
-GBUMC reaches out with God's love, hospitality, and hope…even after hurricanes!
-Special Notes
-No ice or water will be provided as in years past. Wal-Mart and Publix are prepared to open as soon after the storm has passed as possible.
-In the event of a damaging hurricane, you are encouraged to volunteer to help as soon as possible, but we also invite you to consider now, how you would like to serve following a hurricane. Please e-mail jkale@gbumc.org to let me know where you would like to serve in helping our disaster response.
Diaster Supply List