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October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the end of November commences the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Disasters play a role. (This article from NPR depicts how.) We encourage all to seek the appropriate services needed to cope with the effects of COVID-19 and other disasters in a healthy manner. Please continue to pray for the country and the world as we experience natural disasters, violence and disease, and remember to honor those we have lost this year on upcoming All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
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THE EMOTIONAL LIFE CYCLE OF A DISASTER
We are seeing the effects of COVID-19 in disaster response, online and hybrid schooling and even voting in the presidential election. Depending on where you are on the Emotional Life Cycle of a Disaster, the novelty of it all has probably worn off. Katie Mears, Director for the US Disaster Program provides a short explanation of the life cycle.
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ADDRESSING MENTAL-HEALTH STIGMA IN RURAL MISSOURI
Mental-health is stigmatized both in Black and rural communities among others, and particularly for men. Because of the heightened racial tensions this summer and the persistence of COVID-19, Episcopal Relief & Development teamed up with the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri to offer mental-health first aid training to faith leaders in Black and rural churches. The training is facilitated by Compass Health Network, a medical care provider well-known in Boone and Randolph Counties and held at Calvary Episcopal Church. Participants include leaders of the Live Well By Faith program that was developed to address the disparities in rates of hypertension and diabetes in the Black community. With this added level of certification, leaders can now identify the signs of mental distress, substance use and family violence as well as suicide intervention with the community members they work with. Read more about our COVID-19 responses in the US and abroad
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DISASTERS EXACERBATE FAMILY AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
In March of this year, we held a conversation about family and partner violence, substance use and mental-health during times of COVID-19. Revisit the conversation between the Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White and Bishop Chilton Knudsen for a deeper understanding of the issue.
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JOINING HANDS ACROSS INDUSTRIES TO FIGHT
FOOD INSECURITY
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“You can only prepare for an emergency to a limit. Being flexible is key,” said Kathy Wilder, the Executive Director for Camp Stevens. Camp Stevens, which has been around for 68 years, is the camp and conference center of the Episcopal dioceses of Los Angeles and San Diego, located in Julian, California. “You have to be open to possibilities,” she added.
This summer, Kathy, Laurie Walsh, the Food and Hospitality Director and the garden managers worked in partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development to address food insecurity in the rural undocumented communities around Julian. For several weeks, the center saw as many as 40 families come to pick up seasonal vegetables and fruits, all fresh and organically grown at the local Sage Mountain Farm. The team worked with Julian Pathways, a community agency, to connect with families in need, allowing them to remain anonymous. Through this collaboration, the camp was able to get a headcount for how many boxes to prepare, but didn’t receive any full names of individuals.
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“It feels very missional, it’s the work we were meant to do,” said Kathy. “When we find connectedness with neighbors, that’s when we find God.”
As part of the response, the center also assisted St. Andrew’s and St. Mark’s Episcopal church food pantries with bulk ordering, saving them shipping costs and locking in wholesale rates. COVID-19 increased food pantry attendance twice-fold, and so many pantries were forced to visit grocery stores and pay full retail prices for needed goods when they ran out. Doing this also wiped out local grocery store’s inventory. This partnership with Camp Stevens was a huge help. Although the outreach is beyond their usual scope of work, the camp is exploring ways to continue this ministry in the future.
Kudos to Camp Stevens, St. Andrew’s and St. Mark’s for working to address food insecurity during the times of COVID-19!
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RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES
Episcopal Relief & Development is currently responding to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Hanna and the wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington state.
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