The Disaster Recovery Support Initiative (DRSI) is a project that has been developed collaboratively with the United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries (UCCDM), Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (CCDOC), and Church of the Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM). The focus of this Initiative is to provide support for the development of local Long Term Recovery Groups by deploying a small team of experienced individuals to a disaster affected area soon after the incident. The team member’s purpose is to train, coach, and mentor local leaders and volunteers as they plan their own recovery to help them start the work of rebuilding homes faster and more efficiently.
The DRSI Team supported the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) following the September 2017 landfall of both Hurricane Irma and Maria. These two disasters affected over 1/3 of the population of the territory with over 37,700 registrations for FEMA assistance.
The team worked directly with impacted communities on St. Thomas, collaborating with FEMA, and non-governmental partners to help facilitate development of a locally managed Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG). This LTRG is now organized and run by local leadership with hired staff and ready to move forward with the next steps in the long recovery ahead.
Get more information about USVI disaster relief volunteer opportunities.
DRSI Team
Rachel Larratt
Long Term Recovery Group & Case Management Advisor
rachel@drsiteam.org
