Bringing supplies and equipment to help others in a disaster? Learn how to have the biggest and best possible impact with limited resources.
By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA
Hurricane Helene caused historic damage to an unlikely location, the hills and mountains of western North Carolina. The flooding and winds surprised many, since hurricanes usually afflict those on the coasts. Not expecting disaster, many inland residents did not prepare. They suffered. Over 230 people are known to be dead, and the estimated damage is over $30 billion.
Our Situation
Churches in the Mountain State Baptist Association (MSBA) learned of the tragedy not only through the media, which can be deceitful, but also through stories from people on the ground. The suffering was real, but just showing up to a devastated area with a trunk (or a tractor-trailer) full of unsolicited stuff is no way to help. The responders may or may not be useful to the victims but will definitely need water, food, fuel, and shelter, which are already in short supply. As good-hearted as it may be to respond, doing so without coordinating with those on the ground can be worse than useless.
Jonathan Buckner leads Chosen Road, a Christian bluegrass band well-known in Appalachia. Chosen Road has played in many churches and has an extensive network of contacts in the region. Memorial Baptist Church (MBC) in Beckley wanted to help. The MD Harris Institute (MDHI) corresponded with Jonathan, who provided the names and numbers of pastors and others in and near the affected areas. They knew what was really going on. The MBC congregation was generous, as were many gym-goers at Glade Springs in Daniels, WV.
What to Bring
MBC/MDHI bought mostly consumable items that would not be wasted and met specific hard-to-meet human needs. State and Federal relief workers such as the National Guard bring bottled water and meals ready to eat (MRE) in abundance to disaster sites. Therefore, we did not bring water or adult food. The following list includes what we bought, what we didn’t, and why.
Shelter
Heavy-duty tarps – People were living in buildings with damaged roofs, in tents, in vehicles, and even in the open. Tarps and cords (like bungee cords) can form a water-repellent layer of protection for shelters. In addition to protecting people, tarps can protect stuff.
Battery-powered lanterns – Provide area lighting in the absence of electricity. Each light had batteries.
Food
Soy-based infant formula – Adults and older children can eat almost any human food. Infants less than one year of age cannot. Babies less than six months old eat exclusively breast milk or formula. While breast milk is by far the best, some women choose not to breastfeed, and a small minority cannot breastfeed. Further, the stress of personal tragedy can disrupt a woman’s milk supply. Babies can take solid foods at four to six months, but breastmilk or formula comprises most of their diet until twelve months. Milk and soy-based infant formulas provide good nutrition to babies, but some infants cannot tolerate milk and must use soy. Though it is often more expensive, almost any infant can thrive on soy-based formula.
The Ashe Pregnancy Center had recently received large shipments of milk-based infant formula. They were at first hesitant to take more. Once the Executive Director, Zella, realized that they had limited soy-based formula, she was happy to receive it.
Hygiene
Diapers are essential for any family with children less than two or three years old. Anyone can use wipes to clean up themselves or others.
Warmth
Charcoal Briquets – October inevitably brings cooler fall temperatures to the northern hemisphere. Our team purchased 54 twenty-pound bags of charcoal briquettes. Briquettes are compact, easy to start, long-lasting, and do not require equipment to use like propane tanks do. They can be used to heat water, cook food, or provide warmth. Charcoal briquettes are very useful in disaster recovery.
Blankets—The MDHI/MBC team also provided 25 queen/king-sized blankets. Blankets are more versatile than sleeping bags, providing warmth, comfort, and a feeling of security. They can be used easily in chairs, vehicles, or elsewhere.
Other Items
Folks in the disaster area also requested propane tanks, hand sanitizer, and medications. We did not provide those, primarily due to cost constraints. They asked for paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels, which we also did not bring. Such products are light and bulky, resulting in a high shipping cost per pound. One person asked for tortilla shells, explaining that they were denser than bread and could be eaten with almost anything, including peanut butter and jelly, meats, and cheeses. One pastor said that he needed toys since the children had nothing to keep them occupied. Another wanted warm clothing for the hurricane victims in his area. The variety of requests shows the differing needs of each person and distribution center.
Other requests
One pastor said he did not need any supplies since his fellowship hall looked like a Dollar General. He asked for money to rebuild, which he estimated would cost about $200,000. Many churches needed emergency supplies, so we opted to serve them.
Cautions
Groups as disparate as the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP), the Mountain State Baptist Association (MSBA), and government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tell people who wish to help to give money but not to give other items or come into the disaster zone.
Advantages to giving money (or gift cards) and staying away
- Avoids people giving cast-offs like unusable clothing or other items that should be in the trash.
- Avoids people giving items that may be useful to only a small percentage of the victims.
- Avoids people bringing in unnecessary items in shipping containers that could be used for necessities.
- Decreases congestion on the roads which are already filled with emergency and resupply vehicles. Transporting goods with smaller vehicles is less efficient than with larger ones.
- Limits the likelihood of would-be rescuers themselves becoming victims.
- Limits the number of “disaster tourists,” those with no intention of helping who only come to look around.
- Discourages criminals who want to take advantage of victims.
- Reduces the demand for essential resources such as food, shelter, and fuel in the disaster zone. Those who want to help need support too.
Disadvantages to giving money (or gift cards) and staying away
- It is often impossible to buy supplies in a disaster area soon after an event. One distribution site manager told me that store shelves were bare. He couldn’t buy supplies if he wanted to, so the only recourse for people in his area was for outsiders to bring in supplies.
- Smaller areas are easily overlooked.
- Some areas are so wiped out that larger vehicles cannot get in. Only small, off-road vehicles, boats, and helicopters can bring in anything at all.
- Limits the willingness of some people to give. Many possible donors want to do more than just give money.
- Limits the ability of victims and helpers to interact with each other, largely eliminating the human elements of empathy and compassion.
- Exposes givers to online crime, since charlatans can always put up websites to capitalize on misery.
- Governments and major organizations can be inefficient, and wasteful, and put money into things contrary to the donors’ values. Many donors wanted their gifts to be given to the neediest, not dispatched based on race or on what would benefit politicians and business leaders.
Most of the cautions above can be mitigated with open communication, good planning, careful execution, and a right heart. The most important factor is to coordinate one’s response with people on the ground. Pastors and parishioners know each other within and between churches, so churches have a built-in support network. Outside Christians, such as those from neighboring states, can use the network of churches to share needs and resources and coordinate a good response. No other organization but the Church, the followers of Jesus Christ across all places and times, has such a network.
The MBC/MDHI Response
Terry Hoskins and I filled the MBC church van with over $1800 of supplies as listed above. We drove to the Orbis Country Church in West Jefferson NC, under the pastoral care of Mike Hartzog. Terry and I met with his team and toured his small country church. Mike’s area suffered minimal damage, and his church had a robust food distribution ministry, especially in hurricane-damaged areas. We drove to the Orbis Country Church warehouse in town and discovered more supplies for Helene’s victims, and for the needy at other times. Mike noted that his church delivers to at least five other churches in the hurricane-affected areas.
Terry and I unloaded our van and prayed with the team. Then we drove to the Ashe Pregnancy Center to deliver diapers, wipes, and formula (as noted above). The Executive Director, Zella, showed us her operations. We prayed with Zella and her team and went on our way back to Beckley.
Lessons Learned
It is not possible to know the impact of any single intervention or group thereof in a disaster situation. Following the guidelines in this article will help to maximize the chance of providing worthwhile service to victims. As government and large organization responses become more automated and bureaucratized, they become less effective and less human. Relationships, not cash, are the coin of the realm. And relationships grow harder and harder to build in our transient, untrusting, accusatory, virtual, and isolated culture. According to many sources, the Federal response was slow and inefficient.[1] Having spent decades in the US Army, and insofar as this is true, I am sure that the cause was not the indifference or the ineptitude of individuals but the suffocating bureaucracy of most large organizations.
Conclusion
The news in our fallen world can be overwhelming. Many people fall into the trap of despair, feeling unable to help with any but the smallest problems. We struggle to know how to intervene, and for any given intervention, we struggle to evaluate how effective it is. Confused and frustrated, many of us anesthetize ourselves with amusements and withdraw from painful reality, choosing to do nothing rather than something.
Disasters are a sad part of our sinful world. Many people, but especially Christians, want to help. They can. Churches formed a huge part, and the fastest responding part, of the Hurricane Helene response. With careful communication, extensive coordination, and robust execution, churches and even individuals can help the hurting and bring glory to the Lord. Churches outside the damaged areas can help their brothers and sisters within. Christians can support other Christians when secular forces fail. Groups such as the MDHI come alongside churches to advise and help them make a bigger impact on their world.
[1] FEMA under fire – Critics say the government’s response to Hurricane Helene was a disaster. Are they right? https://wng.org/roundups/fema-under-fire-1728755804.
