Spiritual care is key in disaster relief
When fires, floods and tornadoes strike communities, The Salvation Army stands ready to serve. Our disaster teams rush to the scene, providing food, water and supplies to survivors and first responders – such as our ongoing relief efforts in Texas and Ecuador.
But ask the volunteers who jump in to help, and they will tell you the most important resource they can offer is hope – or, what The Salvation Army calls a “Ministry of Presence.”
“The key is to connect with people, to really see and hear them,” said Dennis Flom, a 15-year Salvation Army disaster volunteer.
He and his wife Marcia (pictured) have devoted their lives to mission work with The Salvation Army and other organizations since 2001, after they both felt called to serve.
“God just said that if you want to seek My will in your life, I want you to sell it all and serve,” Dennis explained.
They’ve seen it all in disasters like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina, and tornadoes here at home. They even teach other volunteers how to provide emotional and spiritual care to survivors who’ve lost homes, belongings, or even loved ones.
“It is so overwhelming for people, they may have lost everything,” Dennis said. “We provide the ministry of presence.”
That can mean even a few minutes of letting survivors know that the volunteers hear them, see them, and care about what happened.
“People tend to say their situations aren’t as bad as their neighbors, but we want to validate that their pain is significant, too,” Dennis said.
Difficult, rewarding work
Salvation Army volunteers Desta and Tim Hunt (pictured) from Fergus Falls, Minn., have provided emotional and spiritual care during disasters for 11 years, serving everywhere from Sandy Hook, N.J., to Fargo, N.D.
“We have gotten much more out of it than we could ever give,” Desta said.
The couple divides and conquers. Tim excels at providing practical support to survivors.
“I try to give them a path forward, a path of hope,” he said. “I help them get registered with FEMA. I’ll walk them through where they can connect with resources to help.”
Meanwhile, Desta, a social worker by training, has a gift for listening and offering emotional support.
“They may have lost everything they valued – what you give them has to be from your heart and soul, it can’t be learned in a book,” she said.
While each disaster provides a different challenge, the volunteers who wade in to help say they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It is, without a doubt, the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Desta said.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering (view local opportunities by selecting “Volunteering” in the community menu) or making a donation to support your local community.