You may want to establish relationships with other congregations and local organizations to identify how your congregation can fit into the broader response plans of your community. Congregations play a crucial role for the community in times of crisis. People will be turning to your congregation whether you are prepared or not.

“Nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations, play a vital role in both preparing for disaster, and in ensuring an inclusive and participatory community-wide recovery from a disaster,”according to Partnerships for the Common Good, a toolkit produced by the White House office. “These organizations directly supplement and fill gaps where government authority and resources cannot be applied.”