By Lisa Crouch
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) has deployed a Critical Response Childcare team to Surfside, Fla., to serve families affected by the heartbreaking building collapse that occurred in the early morning hours of June 24. More than 150 people are still missing and the current official death toll is 11.
CDS had a small group of local volunteers standing by as soon as the reports of the disaster started coming in, eager to help any children affected. On Sunday, June 27, that local team was activated by the Red Cross for the “soft opening” of the Family Resource Center that was being set up.
A longterm CDS team also was activated on Sunday to deploy Monday. That team is mostly made up of Critical Response Childcare volunteers and began working in the Family Resource Center today. Critical response teams have received more specialized training for disasters that have an especially heavy and emotional toll, such as a mass casualty event.
The Red Cross is providing emergency lodging for more than 30 residents and others displaced by the crisis. They, along with other community organizations, also are supporting families at the resource center by offering support, aid, and a place to gather for updates from authorities. The resource center is expected to be open daily for as long as needed, and CDS plans to be there to support the children.
— Lisa Crouch is associate director of Children’s Disaster Services, which is a part of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Find out more about CDS at www.brethren.org/cds. Contribute financially to this response through a gift to the Emergency Disaster Fund at https://churchofthebrethren.givingfuel.com/bdm.
‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑
Find more Church of the Brethren news:
- Annual Conference 2024 invites Church of the Brethren to gather in Grand Rapids
- Annual Conference officers return query regarding congregational latitude on matters of human sexuality
- Silent Auction to benefit translation expenses and the general Annual Conference budget
- Mission and Ministry Board completes Kingian Nonviolence training, works at envisioning
- Leadership Team issues clarification on On Earth Peace membership with Supportive Communities Network