From Week of Compassion: Joplin, One Year Later

Our friend at Week of Compassion the Rev. Brandon Gilvin wrote this great piece about Joplin, MO one year after the tornado struck. You'll find it copied below.

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peace, Rev. Brian

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A Memo for Joplin, One Year Later

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012 AT 10:29AM

Francis Coppola, Josh Baird, and Jill Michel tour a Memorial Park commemorating those injured or lost in the 2011 Joplin tornado

When Anderson Cooper leaves, there is still work to do.

Over the two and a half years I’ve served the church through Week of Compassion, these have been the words I’ve said to myself after every major disaster we’ve faced.  In a way, it is my own internal memo: a reminder that media coverage may stop but that the lives of those affected by disasters continue with all of the complications, grief, and uncertainty of a long slog back to normalcy.

I go over this internal memo today, the anniversary of the 2011 Joplin tornado, as I think about the many partners we’ve worked with over the last year, including Church World Service, Rebuild Joplin, Joplin’s Long Term Recovery Committee, Mike Weinman and Jeni Brown in the Ozark Lakes Area office.

I remind myself of the nimble skill and entrepreneurial spirit of churches surrounding Joplin:  First Christian-Pittsburg, KS; First Christian-Neosho, MO; First Christian-Columbus, KS; First Christian Church-Bentonville, AR, and all of the volunteers they housed in the weeks that followed the tornado, as well as those who contributed to the building of the incredible Mission Center Facility at South Joplin Christian Church.

Disciples and UCC Volunteers Work Hard Repairing a House in Joplin

I count the names of my amazing colleagues in the United Church of Christ, Florence Coppola, the executive for National Disaster Ministries, and her corps of Long Term Volunteers like Biff Barner and Howard Self.  Over a year of planning, brainstorming, dreaming, and praying, praying, praying, they have been the perfect partners for supporting a long term recovery.

 I find myself giving thanks for my colleague at Disciples Volunteering, Josh Baird, whose pastoral presence bring comfort and hope that equals his technical expertise and experience.  He, too, has enlisted an amazing group of Long Term Volunteers who will help staff the mission station—folks who will provide welcome, guidance, and leadership for groups who come to be part of the rebuilding. 

I remember, above all, pulling into the parking lot of First Christian Church, Joplin, and meeting two incredible pastors, Jill Michel of South Joplin and Faye Blevins of First Christian.  Over the last year, they have shown leadership that is nothing short of inspiring, and the churches they pastor have shown grace, hospitality, and hope that is nothing short of Christ-like.

I go over all of this as I consider this memo to myself and I quickly draft another for all of those names I’ve counted and all of those whose names I’ll never know—the folks who hung Christmas wreaths on FEMA trailer doors, who stood in line at First Christian’s distribution center, those who are volunteering on weeks I won’t be able to visit, and those who still mourn the loss of a loved one.

We remember.

We are still with you.

You are part of us.

Amen.

{Brandon Gilvin is the Associate Director of Week of Compassion. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.}

WoC: Hope Rising in Joplin

{Editors: My good friend and Associate Director of Week of Compassion Brandon Gilvin sent out the following update from Joplin, Missouri this afternoon.}

There's a lot going on in Joplin, Missouri. Joplin torando aftermath Picture taken in the days following the tornado in Joplin, MO. That's the first thing you notice when you drive through town.

Everywhere, you see hand-painted or custom-printed signs that read "Rebuild Joplin." A local coffee shop sports a gigantic map of the city with pushpins marking the May 22nd tornado's path. There is as much work going on as there was when I first visited Joplin a few months ago, but the nature of the work is definitely shifting from immediate relief and clean-up to longer-term recovery. First Christian Church is winding down its ministry as a distribution center for those affected by the tornado, and South Joplin Christian Church is still a construction zone, filled with a crew repairing damage throughout the building. The church's leadership is looking beyond the repairs and has started to make plans for the future. A long-term recovery committee has emerged and begun its work, and Week of Compassion partner Church World Service has helped provide support and training for the committee. Joplin tornado Picture taken in the aftermath of the tornado.

 Geographically, Joplin sits on the Southwest edge of Missouri, a short drive from many communities in Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas with active, mission-minded Disciples churches who have provided courageous, compassionate leadership in offering relief and clean-up to tornado damage in Joplin. Last Wednesday, I gathered with Disciples pastors from Joplin and the neighboring tri-state community, committed lay leaders and ecumenical partners, and Ozark Lakes Area Minister Dr. G. Michael Weinman to flesh out a long-term recovery plan among Week of Compassion, Disciples Volunteering, the Ozark Lakes Area, and supportive congregations. We had a great meeting, and I am happy to announce that things are in motion.

• As is almost universally the case with initiating a long-term recovery process, there are many pieces in play, including city zoning ordinances, recruiting and training disaster response case managers, and streamlining a volunteer coordination system for recovery, but, thus far, the plans are as follows: Disciples Volunteering and South Joplin Christian Church will launch a mission station in Joplin sometime between November 2011 and February 2012. Neighboring churches in Neosho, MO, Pittsburg, KS, and Columbus, KS, will complement this initiative by offering additional and overflow housing for volunteers. Once the mission station opens, registration for week-long Disciples work groups will be managed by Disciples Volunteering . 
• First Christian Church, Bentonville, Arkansas, will continue to provide housing for short term (1-3 days) volunteer work groups. Easily accessible for churches traveling from the south, FCC-Bentonville can be contacted for more details by following this link . 
• We are continuing to explore a partnership with the United Church of Christ in supporting the work of the South Joplin Christian Church Mission Station. As longstanding ecumenical partners, we're all excited about the possibilities, and we're working hard to make sure our policies and procedures are complementary. 

As Joplin rebuilds, we are, through our partnership with Disciples Volunteering, ready to make things happen, and ready to be part of long-term, sustainable solutions. Thank you for the prayers, gifts, and hopes that you have all brought to the table, as we have prepared for this recovery. We're looking forward to what our partnership brings forth. For more information about Disciples Volunteering's Disaster Response Programs in Joplin, MO, and in Tuscaloosa, AL, please visit their website .