Rochester Announces Disaster Response Seminar

As the hearts and eyes of the world turn to Japan in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami, a unique international agency has finalized plans to conduct Disaster Response training in Rochester May 12 - 14. Hope Force International specializes in training and mobilizing volunteers to respond in crisis situations in the United States and around the world. The organization is rapidly approaching its goal of 1,000 active Reservists ready to respond to crisis points and disaster areas. 

Hope Force International (HFI) spent more than three years in Gulf Coast communities assisting in recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The organization has actively been involved in Haiti since the earthquake of January 2010, which is estimated to have taken close to 300,000 lives. HFI has Reservist teams on standby now, ready and able to assist with the crisis in Japan. In collaboration with partners in the Pacific, agency officials are working to determine the most effective means of responding to the disaster.

Hope Force International is scheduling its first disaster relief training seminar in New York on May 12-14.  "In response to the skyrocketing numbers of people affected by natural disasters, we have expanded our popular three-day Reservist Training seminar to additional cities around the country," explains President/CEO, Jack Minton. "A number of New Yorkers have gone through our seminar already and there has been a growing interest in bringing the Reservist Training to Rochester. People from the area have a strong level of support for our work already and we are thrilled to bring this unique opportunity to the city." 

Hope Force Reservist training focuses on preparing an individual for the arduous task of a disaster responder. The course includes two days and two evenings of preparation for service. This training is required to be considered as a Hope Force Reservist - eligible for rapid deployment, often within 24 to 48 hours following a disaster event. The Rochester seminar is co-sponsored by CrossBridge Community Church and Mosaic Church.
    
"My first experience with Hope Force came after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast," says Jonathan Schwandt, Director of Rehema Home US. "For weeks I sat glued to the tv watching history unfold, desperate to find a way to help. When the opportunity arose to spend two weeks in Mississippi, working with Hope Force I couldn't say no. Those two weeks were incredibly emotional, and exhausting. Those two weeks left an indelible mark on me. Spending time in a disaster zone is not easy which is why the Reservist Training provided by Hope Force is so important. They prepare you for what you will encounter in a disaster zone, they teach you how to best help others while taking care of yourself both emotionally and spiritually. The Hope Force Reservist Training is for men and women of action with a burning desire to meet the needs of people in their darkest hour. I highly recommend you attend."  

Hope Force staff and volunteers were on the ground in Haiti within days of the 2010 earthquake. Orthopedic surgeons saved lives as patients streamed into Port-au-Prince's few remaining hospitals. Mobile medical teams reached the region of the earthquake's epicenter where untold destruction and loss of life pervaded the landscape.

Hope Force has committed its resources to the small hamlet of Sous Savanne, Haiti whose residents faced a 90% destruction rate of homes and businesses due to their proximity to the earthquake's epicenter. More than 500 people benefited from disaster relief tents last summer and 300 of these are now benefiting from the organization's feeding program through the Child Sponsorship initiative. The rotating teams of trained Hope Force Reservists provided the backbone of the workforce for all of these programs. 

Around the world over 60 million people a year are affected by disasters. Statistically, the most vulnerable are the poorest of the poor. "We believe that the Christian community has a mandate to respond to those who are suffering from disaster or chronic need," explains Minton. "We must respond with compassion to the plight of those who suffer, doing all we can to care for them." In Hope Force International, our calling is simple: To equip willing responders and mobilize them onto pathways of service. Not all will be doctors and nurses, or even first responders such as firemen and paramedics, but everyone is needed." 

A native New Yorker, David O'Connor recently returned from a Reservist deployment to Haiti with a three-man Hope Force team. This was O'Connor's fourth trip to Haiti after coming on as a photojournalist last summer and eventually helping to pioneer the Child Sponsorship Program to aid in reconstruction of the village of Sous Savanne.

"We worked very hard to time our January trip around a period that would be least risky in terms of election violence," O'Connor said. "Thankfully there was not a high level of disorder or demonstrations, we were able to proceed with minimal security risk." O'Connor was able to deliver the good news to families in Sous Savanne who had been approved for the Child Sponsorship Program. "The joy on the faces of the sponsored family members was unforgettable," O'Connor said. "Many of them do not know how they will find food for their families on a daily basis, so being able to provide an increased level of food security for their children is an unspeakable gift."

How can the people of New York engage disaster response efforts in Haiti, Japan and here at home?

• Join the Reservist Training seminar May 12 - 14 and become a Hope Force Reservist. 
• Contact us and commit to join a deployment in 2011.
• Sponsor a child in Haiti for $29 a month to deliver food and medical treatment to the most vulnerable members of society.

As a leading non-profit organization dedicated to disaster response, Hope Force is comprised of individuals who are dedicated to utilizing their expertise to inspire, equip and mobilize volunteers into areas of crisis around the world. Founded by Jack and Cherie Minton in 2003, Hope Force endeavors to become a leading volunteer response force, bringing hope to those affected by crisis or disaster. As an agency dedicated to "A compassionate response to crisis and disaster" staff members and Reservists are committed to providing individualized attention and assistance to those affected by natural disasters, such as those experienced in Japan and Haiti. Hope Force also has programs targeting the "hidden poor" in Appalachia as well as those recovering from the 2010 floods in Nashville and Central Tennessee.