HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — While parish disaster response teams are expected to respond to needs in their own communities, parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Hot Springs Village have decided they will go to other disasters wherever they are needed in the state.
They have yet to be called upon to help residents of their retirement community, but they already logged more than 1,200 hours helping residents near Atkins, Center Ridge and Mena when they were damaged by tornadoes.
About 26 parishioners unofficially formed a disaster response team in February 2008 to help residents near Atkins, about 85 miles away. The members spent more than 500 hours in Cleveland (Conway County) over six days in February and March 2008.
In May 2008 more parishioners went to St. Joseph Church in Center Ridge, about 110 miles away, following a tornado. During three work days, 29 members gave more than 300 hours of service. Four men returned to Center Ridge on Sept. 12 to help with a house-raising for a family that lost two members.
After becoming more organized and receiving training from Catholic Charities of Arkansas last fall, the team made its first official response five days after the Holy Thursday tornado, April 9, destroyed downtown Mena. Three case managers from Hot Springs Village traveled 95 miles to Mena April 14. The case managers returned in May and will probably return again for follow-up with their clients. A work crew visited the city four times in April to remove trees and debris from the St. Agnes Church grounds as well as several properties. The parishioners drove more than 3,000 miles total and volunteered more than 400 hours.
Case manager Dee Kapple, a transplant from Illinois, said she had never seen tornado damage until she traveled to Mena. She talked to the victims, collecting and evaluating information on where they lived, what kind of damage their home sustained and their other needs.
“It was overwhelming to be in Mena and see the needs of the town and the response of people as trucks were coming in with donated materials,” she said.
Kapple said much of her job was listening.
“They want to tell you their story. They need someone to listen to them,” she said.
Following the closure of the Hurricane Recovery Office in March 2008, Catholic Charities asked parishes to continue to use their disaster response teams to respond to local disasters such as floods, tornadoes and ice storms. By establishing the teams, Catholic Charities hopes to focus on preparedness.
“Sometimes it may take a few days to get all the service providers and disaster partners in place. If a parish is prepared, there are some things they can do for themselves,” said Jamie Deere, director of the Parish Social Ministry Office.
Msgr. Bernard Malone, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Hot Springs Village, thought this call to action might be something his parish could answer. Most of the parishioners are retired and have more time available for volunteering because they do not have full-time jobs and the responsibilities of children at home.
“It was an easy decision,” said John Bodensteiner, chairman of the steering committee for the DRT. “We all saw this as a part of our social action ministry. And the initial response was very good, as many people agreed with the decision and volunteered.” Bodensteiner said the committee has taken a few steps to know how to respond if a disaster occurs closer to home. Because Hot Springs Village lies geographically within two counties, the steering committee made contacts with Saline County and Garland County governments to assess what regional and state programs are available.
Deere said 30 parish teams are currently working in the Diocese of Little Rock.
“Hot Springs Village Disaster Response Team is very active and very organized,” she said. “They are a model DRT. It is a matter of availability as to whether a team responds outside their parish. Hot Springs Village has been able to do more traveling that most teams.”
Deere said the parishes in Heber Springs and Searcy were able to respond to the needs in Clinton until the Clinton team was functioning. St. Agnes Church in Mena now has a team trained to continue the work begun by the Hot Springs Village team.
Msgr. Malone said, “I am very proud of the members of Sacred Heart Parish who were willing to go so far to help strangers in need. I am amazed at their enthusiasm for the hard work involved. This is a demonstration of Catholic faith in action.”
