January 6, 2023

Special Edition - Earthquake Response

Diocese Churches and partners team up to provide Earthquake Relief through Project (Re)Start

1) Lis Padula (not pictured) delivered ReStart bins from Galt to Lincoln for transport by truck because dense fog kept flights on the ground. Patrick Eldridge, grandson of Jean Derum (Sr. Warden St. James Lincoln) delivered bins to Humboldt.

2) St. Francis, Fortunta members Fannette Downie-Allman (Senior Warden) along with John and Patty Lukas, help Patrick unload his truck after a long drive, just before torrential rains hit.

3) Patrick Eldridge delivering bathroom and cleaning bins donated by St. Lukes Galt and St. James Lincoln

4) Mike Grimes, CalDART pilot, flying his Beechcraft Bonanza filled with ReStart bins

5) Mark Dibelka, Missioner for Disaster Resilience, with his son, Francis, met a flight at Siskiyou Airport to contribute bins from St. Barnabas, Mt. Shasta

6) John Lukas (St. Francis Mission Committee Member) and his wife Patty offload the bins at Fortuna Airport

7) Mission Mike was one of two volunteer pilots who airlifted ReStart bins to Fortuna Airport giving a thumbs up to John Lukas

8) Sarah Reback (Director, Rio Dell Community Resource Center) unloading ReStart bins at emergency center set up at Elementary School in Rio Dell

9) Earl Cunningham (St. Francis) and John and Vicki Patton (Christ, Eureka) loaded vehicles to take Cleaning & Bathroom bins to Rio Dell

10) Nellie Thompson (Christ, Eureka) brought C-cell and D-cell batteries and grocery gift cards donated by Elizabeth Harper-Larson (Christ, Eureka)

11) Inside the emergency center set up at the Elementary School in Rio Dell. Tables of food, clothing, toilet paper, emergency supplies and ReStart Bins.

12) Deacon Cindy Woods (St. Albans, Arcata), Sarah Reback (Director Rio Dell Community Resource Center) and Mother Geri

13) Lions Club members Mike and Mj with Mtr. Geri. Lions Club Disaster Response TEAM transported 182 boxes of blankets to Rio Dell, Scotia, Loleta and 18 boxes to St. Francis for staging.

14) Deacon Cindy and Sr. Warden Rick Timmons (St. Albans, Arcata) prepare and deliver 5 Kitchen bins provided by St. Alban's, Arcata

15) Deacon Cindy and Rick loading the bins to be staged at St. Francis

16) Diana LaVen and Anne Wade (St. Francis, Fortuna) filled four Cleaning Bins.

17) Deacon Cindy Woods, COAD Director Alison Sterling Nichols, and Mtr. Geri Cunningham at the Rio Dell Earthquake Local Assistance Center. Approximately 250 to 300 households came through the LAC on the two days.

18) Deacon Cindy (in hat) with COAD Director Jen Rice

19) Judy VanVleet (St. Francis member) at COAD table.

20) This morning, Fr. Daniel London dropped off bedroom bins (prepared by Christ Church Eureka) to St. Francis in Fortuna (Mtr. Geri Cunningham and Earl Cunningham pictured here) to be delivered to Rio Dell residents in need.

On Monday, December 20, the lives of thousands of residents in Humboldt County were turned upside down by a magnitude 6.4 Earthquake near Ferndale. Killing two and injuring nearly a dozen, the temblor wreaked havoc on the communities of Fortuna and nearby Rio Dell. Power was knocked out for days, and critical roads and infrastructure were badly damaged.


Thanks to the dedication and hard work of many throughout the diocese,

we were able to provide much-needed relief to survivors. From one end of the diocese to another, churches and partners joined forces in a race against aftershocks and weather to delivery needed support.


Months of planning and preparation enabled us to respond immediately, and deploy the ReStart Bins as designed. We are learning in real-time how to improve our processes for the next disaster (which may be upon us now).


What's Next?

Thanks to the generosity of many, our diocese has responded to help those impacted by the Earthquake. However, participating congregations are now needing to replenish their supplies for the next disaster. With the recent heavy rains and winds throughout the diocese, there are sure to be additional requests for ReStart bins. Please consider making a gift to the Bishop's Disaster Relief Fund TODAY, so we can respond TOMORROW.


We need more Church Partners for the ReStart Program!

We are grateful to the congregations that have stepped up for this disaster and for other disasters in our diocese. We need more churches to help shoulder the load. Please consider having your parish join in the effort. Please contact Mark Dibelka, Diocese Missioner for Disaster Resilience to learn how you can help. You can reach him at [email protected].

For first-hand accounts of the earthquake and and recovery efforts, click on these links to read the recent E-Newsletters from St. Francis, Fortuna.


St Francis Weekly Email December 23

https://conta.cc/3X10QO2


St. Francis Special Edition December 26

https://conta.cc/3jEr7Dc


St. Francis Weekly Email December 30

https://conta.cc/3VIhwso

Thanks to the following for providing photos and information:

  • The Rev. Geri Cunningham
  • The Rev. Nancy Streufert
  • The Rev. Daniel London
  • Lis Padula
  • CalDART

The Episcopal Diocese of Northern California

Making Disciples, Raising Up Saints & Transforming Communities for Christ

www.norcalepiscopal.org

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