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Disaster Response Local Church Coordinator:
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  1. Provides a point of source of information if a disaster affects their local community
2. Assist with the scheduling and recruiting for disaster response classes
3. Recruit trained volunteers for a local church disaster team
4. Provides disaster leadership within their local church		  
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  More About Us>>    
 
     
 
 
 
Dennis Shafter
Adventist Community Service and Disaster Director
dkshafter@earthlink.com
  
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Lavida Whitsonn Adventist Community Service and Disaster Director
acshelp4u@yahoo.com
 
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Sylvia Downs
Adventist Community Service and Disaster Secretary
sdowns@arklac.org
  
   

ADVENTIST COMMUNITY SERVICES is a non-profit agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that works to meet people’s immediate needs.

With a mission to “serve the poor and hurting in Christ’s name,” it provides  mentoring programs, tutoring, health education and assistance, inner city missions and disaster response.

As the needs of people become increasingly more complex, we aim to adapt our helping strategies by increasing our partnerships with other organizations, recruiting more leaders and volunteers, and securing more resources.  Our communities are in need!  You can make a difference by getting involved and showing the community that you care.  There are many different organizations that you can choose to show your involvement.  Your level of involvement is always up to you.  And of course, Adventist Community Services can always use able-minded individuals for our upcoming projects.  Feel free to contact us to see how we can together utilize our Passions and talents to empower our communities!  Our goal is to equip people to become self-sufficient.

If you are a volunteer or leader in your church or would like more information regarding this organization, please contact Lavida Whitson, at the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference office or visit the ACS website.
 
 
 
During Response Area Coordinator>>
Designated geographic area
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  1. Provides a point of source for information if a disaster affects their area
2. Assist with the scheduling and recruiting for disaster response classes
3. Recruit trained volunteers for scheduled deployment
4. Provides disaster leadership within their assigned area		  
 
 
     
  Volunteers:   During a Disaster Emergency:  
 
     
 

The Southwestern Union website: www.swau.org will make available a place to register survivors; contact information of each conference in union; list of Collection Centers, Distribution Centers; needs and un-needs lists.

The Arkansas-Louisiana Conference encourages all ARKLA churches to develop a church disaster response plan and a call system to reach their church members during a disaster and be able to locate each other in time of evacuation.

  
 
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ACS DR trained volunteers are to first call their local church DR coordinator, if they are not available then their area DR coordinator, or state/conference DR director to make known their availability for current disaster.  They should plan to be self-sufficient during their volunteer time.

Youth groups, academies, and colleges/universities have become very active in assisting with Disaster Response.  The group’s leader should contact local conference DR director with offer to help with disaster event.  Then organize your group, provide transportation and come prepared to be self-sufficient during time they are at the disaster response.

Pull-behind trailers filled with emergency supplies; water, non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, paper products, diapers, formula, and baby food are ideal for mobile distribution.  Weekend mobile distribution from warehouse operations entail: loading trailer/van/pick-up with emergency supplies and taking them to sparsely populated disaster affected areas that do not have access to Distribution Centers.  Youth groups are an important part of mobile distribution.