Did you feel the earth shake?

I grew up in California, I have felt several earthquakes, so when it hit us last week I knew what it was. But I wondered if my Midwestern native friends knew what hit them. Some thought it was a tornado…maybe some thought the sky was falling. It is a scary thought to think we are not only in for tornadoes in the Midwest, but we live close to an active fault line.

At times like these, emergency preparedness comes to the forefront of our minds.

Are we prepared?

My church takes a special interest in emergency preparedness. We have a website — providentliving.org — with resources that can be used by any church or group.

We are not, by any means, the only church preparing its flock for disaster or those events like loss of job or illness that can set a family back.

Recently Fenton ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with United Methodist Church and New Hope Fellowship — both in Fenton, Missouri — to host a preparedness fair to help their congregations and the community to become familiar with resources available to the public and civic leaders in times of need.

The event was planned a year in advance, but oddly — or fortuitously — coincided with the recent floods of the area. Patrons of the event took home some 17 FREE flood kits (in buckets) that included clean-up items such as goggles, sponges, cleaners, tarps and gloves.

Our church distributed thousands of additional kits to not only the Fenton area, but also Franklin county, Eureka, Pacific, Valley Park and also the Cape Girardeau area.

Mary Pederson, regional community relations specialist for local stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints observed that each faith brought something unique to the emergency preparedness table. She says:

“One church alone cannot solve all the world’s problems. As we tear down ural and religious barriers to come together for the community, we can help a lot more people in need.”

Churches, in addition to linking with each other, can also link with community resources to support groups like C.E.R.T, encouraging their congregants to recieve emergency response training in support of the community.

Learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s emergency preparedness and humanitarian relief programs at these links:

Preparedness training

Humanitarian Services

Preparedness resources

Please share what your congregation does for self-reliance and emergency preparedness and what resources are available for the community.

How can we unite in more of our communities to offer relief?