The House That Faith Built
-by the Rev. Bryan Crousore
 

Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas of Monett, MO
stand happily in of the door of their new home.

Constructed by the volunteer labor of church groups from Missouri and across the Midwest, this new home replaces their original home that was completely destroyed by the tornadoes that swept across Missouri in May of 2003.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had some insurance and received the maximum amount of money to which they were entitled from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they did not receive enough both to purchase the materials and pay for the labor to rebuild after this disastrous event.

Guided by the Barry/Lawrence County Long Term Recovery Committee, the Thomas’ received help from a series of groups who came to the area to help many people with reconstruction projects. Arranged through the Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization and the participating denominations, these groups demonstrated conclusively that “people of faith care about their neighbors”.

The Thomas’ were not alone in loosing nearly everything they had nor were they alone in receiving help from the faith community. Across Missouri, from Canton in the northeast, to Carl Junction in the Southwest, a total of 6,714 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. While most people were able to rebuild with help from insurance, FEMA, and local resources, about ten percent of the families affected had unmet needs. It was at this point that they turned to their neighbors from the faith community for assistance. Many Christian denominations that have disaster response resources to share banded together as the Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization (MIDRO) to make sure that their resources were most effectively and efficiently used. During 2003 and 2004, approximately 75 groups with nearly 1000 total participants repaired and rebuilt homes and encouraged those who waited so long for a safe, secure, and permanent place to call home.

To find out more about how the faith community works together in disaster response contact your own church’s national disaster ministry or log onto to www.churchworldservice.org