Disaster leadership training provides unique experience.

October was a month of excitement, anticipation, and new beginnings, reported Jane Yount, coordinator of Brethren Disaster Response for the Church of the Brethren General Board. The month represented a new beginning for leadership in the program, as 26 people from 13 states participated in two disaster project leadership trainings in Pensacola, Fla., and Lucedale, Miss.

These were the first trainings of their kind to be offered by Brethren Disaster Response, featuring real-life experience at actual disaster response project sites. Each two-week training was filled with instruction and skill development sessions, as presenters from local disaster recovery groups, Disaster Response staff, and current project leadership provided special training in their field of expertise. The training focused on topics such as construction management, safety, volunteer management, meal planning, hospitality, and more.

In addition to staff, trainers included Bob and Marianne Pittman, Larry and Alice Petry, Brethren Volunteer Service workers Phil and Joan Taylor, and safety expert Steve Hollinger.

Participants found it beneficial to immediately put into practice what they were learning, Yount reported. “We aren’t here by accident, we’re here by blessing. We’ve learned from everybody here,” commented Eddie Motley, trainee from Southeastern District of the Church of the Brethren.

The trainings have come to a close, but the journey for these volunteers has just begun. They will continue their training by working with the leaders of current disaster response projects to hone skills and become comfortable in leadership roles.

In other disaster response news, three grants have been made from the Emergency Disaster Fund of the Church of the Brethren General Board: an additional allocation of $25,000 continues support of the Brethren Disaster Response rebuilding site in Lucedale; an additional allocation of $3,000 completes funding for Disaster Child Care and other volunteers in Florida after Hurricane Wilma; an additional allocation of $1,500 completes funding for a Brethren Disaster Response clean-up project in Alabama following Hurricane Katrina.

A new Hurricane Katrina clean up and rebuilding project opened in Tammany Parish, La., on Oct. 15. Katrina caused devastation for the parish on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Brethren Disaster Response opened the project in Pearl River, a small town outside of Slidell.

Source: 11/22/2006 Newsline