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GRACE Community Services hosting free emergency workshop at Christian Tabernacle
By MATT HOLLIS
Many residents were caught unprepared by the destruction of Hurricane Ike and its aftermath, which left many with no electricity, little food or water and facing uncertainty.
In an effort to help citizens be prepared for this type of emergency in the future, GRACE Community Services is offering a free class to help teach residents, community organizers, pastors and churches on how to be prepared if such a situation should occur again. The class is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Christian Tabernacle Church, 13334 Wallisville Road. Pastor Irvin Clark is the pastor of the church.
“Our purpose is to train and educate the lay community, community leaders and pastors on how to be prepared before, during and after an event occurs, whether it be man-made disaster, a natural disaster or an act of terrorism,” said Ruama Camp, GRACE Community Services executive director.
GRACE began offering these disaster classes in 2004 to teach people how to be prepared for emergencies and help officials as well. They have partnered with the Harris County Citizens Corps to help teach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes.
“By educating the community and churches, we can help to build teams so people can be educated on what to do,” Camp said. “We can save our neighbors and families.”
The free class is for everyone in the community, Camp said.
“A lot of people were caught off guard by Hurricane Ike,” Camp said. “It would be advantageous for them to attend. It will be a wealth of information on how to be disaster prepared and ready.”
One of the items Camp said is going to be covered during the class is disaster kits. The kit contains battery-operated television sets, crank radios and flashlights, a fire safe, a fire extinguisher, a siren, packaged water, purifying water tablets, hand sanitizers, MREs, tents, and compasses. There will be an option to purchase a kit at the class. However, Camp recommends that churches and citizens try to put together their own disaster kit in an effort to be prepared.
“We are aware of the cost of the kit,” Camp said. “There are a lot of elderly people, disabled people, single parents and many on fixed incomes. Purchasing a kit is not on the forefront of their minds. We want the businesses and churches to purchase them and set them aside for emergency preparation.”
Camp added that the main goal of the class is disaster case management, constructing and sheltering, volunteering and hospitality and CERT training.
This is the first in a series of classes GRACE Community Services plans to offer.
“We want to whet their appetites,” Camp said. “This will give them some type of understanding of what a disaster recovery response looks like.”
Pastors and church members are strongly encouraged to attend, Camp said.
“We also would like to get the schools, Rotary clubs, chambers of commerce involved so we can form not only a community event, but a global and citywide event to get people prepared,” Irvin said.
Irvin and Camp also encourage pastors of churches to arrange to transport anyone who is interested in attending the free class who cannot get there on their own.
More information about the free class is available by calling 713-453-7000 ext. 260 or 713-839-9300. Information is also available by logging on to www.gracecommunityservices.org.
In an effort to help citizens be prepared for this type of emergency in the future, GRACE Community Services is offering a free class to help teach residents, community organizers, pastors and churches on how to be prepared if such a situation should occur again. The class is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at Christian Tabernacle Church, 13334 Wallisville Road. Pastor Irvin Clark is the pastor of the church.
“Our purpose is to train and educate the lay community, community leaders and pastors on how to be prepared before, during and after an event occurs, whether it be man-made disaster, a natural disaster or an act of terrorism,” said Ruama Camp, GRACE Community Services executive director.
GRACE began offering these disaster classes in 2004 to teach people how to be prepared for emergencies and help officials as well. They have partnered with the Harris County Citizens Corps to help teach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes.
“By educating the community and churches, we can help to build teams so people can be educated on what to do,” Camp said. “We can save our neighbors and families.”
The free class is for everyone in the community, Camp said.
“A lot of people were caught off guard by Hurricane Ike,” Camp said. “It would be advantageous for them to attend. It will be a wealth of information on how to be disaster prepared and ready.”
One of the items Camp said is going to be covered during the class is disaster kits. The kit contains battery-operated television sets, crank radios and flashlights, a fire safe, a fire extinguisher, a siren, packaged water, purifying water tablets, hand sanitizers, MREs, tents, and compasses. There will be an option to purchase a kit at the class. However, Camp recommends that churches and citizens try to put together their own disaster kit in an effort to be prepared.
“We are aware of the cost of the kit,” Camp said. “There are a lot of elderly people, disabled people, single parents and many on fixed incomes. Purchasing a kit is not on the forefront of their minds. We want the businesses and churches to purchase them and set them aside for emergency preparation.”
Camp added that the main goal of the class is disaster case management, constructing and sheltering, volunteering and hospitality and CERT training.
This is the first in a series of classes GRACE Community Services plans to offer.
“We want to whet their appetites,” Camp said. “This will give them some type of understanding of what a disaster recovery response looks like.”
Pastors and church members are strongly encouraged to attend, Camp said.
“We also would like to get the schools, Rotary clubs, chambers of commerce involved so we can form not only a community event, but a global and citywide event to get people prepared,” Irvin said.
Irvin and Camp also encourage pastors of churches to arrange to transport anyone who is interested in attending the free class who cannot get there on their own.
More information about the free class is available by calling 713-453-7000 ext. 260 or 713-839-9300. Information is also available by logging on to www.gracecommunityservices.org.
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