DISASTER RESPONSE What Disaster Response Do? Often the winds of a storm haven’t even stopped blowing when Convoy of Hope’s U.S. Disaster Response team rolls in. Convoy of Hope is considered a “first responder” organization in disaster relief. Our mission is to address physical and spiritual needs. A key element of our response efforts is our partnership with the local church. We believe the local church, through volunteer mobilization, can be vital in serving and be the face of hope and help. U.S. Disaster Response facilitates relief efforts between churches and other organizations to help best serve the needs of survivors. What is now U.S. Disaster Response began in 1998 when Convoy of Hope responded to a flood in Del Rio, TX, after Tropical Storm Charley. Since then some of the well remembered response efforts are Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington D.C., Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne that hit Florida in 2004, and the catastrophic storms of Hurricane Katrina and Rita that pummeled the Gulf Coast in 2005. USDR has also provided relief to victims of fires, tornadoes, ice storms, power outages and floods through out the United States. With our fleet of trucks, 300,000 square foot warehouse, Mobile Command Center, and utilizing the first response P.O.D. (Points of Distribution) model, USDR has become an active and efficient disaster relief organization, providing resources and help to victims in the first days of a disaster.
