This article was originally written and published by Deaconess Kris Blackwell.
(December 11, 2018 – West Chicago, IL) Following a disaster, there are many immediate needs: food, clothing, shelter, and care for people who have disabilities, are seriously ill, and are homebound. Voice of Care has teamed up with Lutheran Church Charities to provide specialized training to equip disaster response teams with skills and resources to deliver onsite respite care events in the wake of disaster.
November 29, 2018, Voice of Care conducted its first Disaster Response Respite Event training workshop for people who have basic Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) certification from Lutheran Church Charities.
Deaconess Kris Blackwell, Voice of Care Executive Director, is a Master Trainer with REST, Respite Education and Support Tools. REST is an accredited program designed to equip volunteers to serve as respite care companions, delivering short-term relief to family caregivers. Blackwell, along with REST-trained and LERT-certified Jan Boerman, partnered to develop a training program specifically geared to disaster response scenarios.
Using materials from the REST Essentials workshop, which trains volunteers to work in a group setting to staff a drop-off respite care event, Blackwell and Boerman designed the session to address the unique needs of a post-calamity environment.
“Everyone understands the dramatic upheaval that families face following flood, fire, earthquake, or a serious storm,” explained Blackwell. “What is not so obvious is the devastating impact these disasters wreak on families with special needs caregiving situations. By providing responders with training to offer an onsite respite event for people with a variety of disabilities, we allow family caregivers the time and opportunity to do what they need to do to get life back on track.”
When a REST-trained disaster response team offers a respite drop off event, families have a safe environment in which to place a loved one that needs full time care. This builds a window of worry-free time for caregivers to meet with relief agencies or to work in the home, without the fear of upsetting the ill or disabled family member.
Blackwell described a typical respite drop off event as “social time in a peaceful setting,” including simple worship, interactive activities, games, and most important, trained volunteers who are equipped to listen to and support people with disabilities.
As Voice of Care’s latest venture, Disaster Response Respite Event training is a perfect fit for the long-time ministry. Since 2003, Voice of Care has been engaged in equipping churches to reach and serve people with disabilities and their caregivers.
Blackwell is working to set up a Disaster Response Respite Event training this spring to equip more LERT-certified volunteers. On the horizon, once a sufficient number of people have been trained, plans are in works for collaborative deployment through Lutheran Church Charities.
Contact: Deaconess Kris Blackwell, 630.234.1491, vocexec@voiceofcare.org
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