Parish Recovery Assistance Centers Provide Help and Relief to Maria and Irma Survivors
CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX , USA , March 16, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Disaster Services Corporation, SVDP-USA is working with the clergy at the request of Bishop Herbert Bevard of the Catholic Diocese of the US Virgin Islands, and they are launching a parish based relief effort called Parish Recovery Assistance Centers (P-RACs). The P-RACs will be located in Christiansted and Frederiksted on the Island of St. Croix. "P-RACs are a holistic community based approach to helping families after a disaster hits,” stated Elizabeth Disco-Shearer, CEO of Disaster Services Corp., SVDP-USA. Catholic organizations are working together to deliver critical information and referral services and immediate relief to the survivors of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul collaborated with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, TEEX to develop a “Just in Time” training program for the P-RACs. TEEX is a internationally recognized leader in the delivery of emergency response and workforce training. Ms. Disco-Shearer said that, “we wanted to have a consistent model in the delivery of services to Maria and Irma survivors and TEEX assisted us with a formal training program and a logistics model for the Parish Recovery Assistance Centers.” The P-RACs will be led by trained Rapid Response Teams that have come to the US Virgin Islands from around the United States and will alternate one week long deployments once a month between St. Croix and St. Thomas through June. The Rapid Response Teams will train other parish based groups to provide information on FEMA, SBA, ONA, State and local disaster programs. The Vincentians will also provide pantry supplies, bottled water, light medical checkups, spiritual and emotional care, and other forms of help as required. P-RACs do not replace other VOAD and FEMA Recovery operations, but rather compliment those services by being the initial face to face interaction of the survivors with their community in the road to recovery. The P-RACs will consist of multiple parish communities working together to serve to the community at large.
Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma addresses and hours follow:
March 19th - 23rd
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Father Bradley Mission Center
20 Prince Street
Christiansted, Saint Croix
US Virgin Islands
00820
Saint Joseph Catholic Church
Mount Pleasant Estates
Frederiksted
US Virgin Islands
00840
Brooke Newton
The Disaster Services Corporation, SVDP-USA
(202) 380-9664
email us here
