New Resources Help Extension and Disaster Professionals Engage Faith Communities in Times of Crisis
KANSAS CITY, Mo – The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee has released a new series of fact sheets and a quick-reference guide to help Extension and disaster professionals engage faith communities more effectively before, during, and after disasters.
“Communication is key when preparing for and responding to disasters, and it is imperative during the recovery phases,” said Russell Medley, EDEN CED Committee Chair. “To be able to effectively work with Faith Communities during these times increases the probability that recovery can happen quickly. These resources will help Extension and Disaster Professionals understand how to collaborate with individual Faith Communities, provide culturally and religiously appropriate assistance, and galvanize these communities into becoming partners in disaster relief across the US.”
The new resources are part of a long-running commitment by EDEN and its 1890 Advisory Group to integrate religious and cultural literacy into disaster preparedness and response. The initiative began with FEMA-supported training for Advisory Group members and expanded through key events including a 2021 EDEN post-conference session, a national 2-day workshop in 2022, and a FEMA Train-the-Trainer certification completed by 1890 institutions in 2024.
“As part of the whole community approach to emergency management, cultural competency is critical to efforts to reasonably ensure that disaster relief efforts provide adequate resources to all segments of the community,” said Noel M. Estwick, EDEN 1890 Advisory Group chair. “Our training places emphasis on cultural literacy because we believe it is vital to adequately engage communities. We believe that cultural literacy is often the missing link in how governments and some other entities engage with communities.”
These materials will help Extension professionals strengthen disaster response by building trusted relationships with faith communities. Access the fact sheets and quick-reference guide now on the EDEN Resource Dashboard.
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