FEMA senior advisor listens to CARE

Rev. David Myers, right, the director for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership under the Department of Homeland Security, speaks during last week’s meeting of the Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts at the conference room of the Governor’s Office on Capital Hill. (Jon Perez)

Rev. David Myers visited Saipan last week to listen to Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts members and at the same time assess the ongoing recovery efforts. He is a senior advisor to Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator William Craig Fugate.

President Barack Obama also appointed Myers to direct the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership under the Department of Homeland Security.

Myers met with CARE members last week at the Governor’s Office conference room on Capital Hill to know how FEMA can still help in the recovery efforts despite having a statute of limitations and at the same time to do his own assessment.

“We all know that it needs a lot of money for recovery efforts since disasters are expensive. We know that there’s still a lot of work ahead and you sometimes feel that you don’t where to start,” said Myers, who added that FEMA has allotted close to $36 million for response and recovery.

“I will bring all of your concerns to the [FEMA] administrator, I’m not making any promises but I’ll work hard to see what else could be done,” Myers said.

CARE’s main concern is raising the money that would help build typhoon-resilient homes.

He also thanked the community, faith-based groups, and other organizations for doing their share in responding to the needs of the victims of Typhoon Soudelor last year.

“The community responded quickly after the storm. I’m just amazed on how other people helped other without thinking of their own personal needs,” Myers said.

“[Typhoon Soudelor] is a wake up call to everybody on how to respond to persons and other people in need,” said Myers.

He added faith-based groups were instrumental in helping victims of several disasters in the mainland including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership was established to help faith-based groups coordinate with other volunteer organizations.

“These are groups and organizations that provide services to victims like beds, a soup kitchen, and even transportation. With the help of emergency managers the resources—either from the government or private—go to the victims,” said Myers.

He said that faith-based communities and volunteer organizations have ways of working closely with the government and not touch on the issue of the First Amendment.

Rose Smith of Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation said their group had worked closely with other faith-based organizations and other volunteers to assist people on what they need and tell them where to go to get help. “How we worked together, all of us, is the reason how we were able to recover fast.”