Volunteers from World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) began interviewing residents in the town of High River, Alberta, this week to assess the needs of homeowners whose houses were damaged in a massive late-spring flood. World Renew has been responding to the disaster since it occurred in June 2013 and has plans in place to continue a long-term response that could extend into the next two or three years.

Volunteers from World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) began interviewing residents in the town of High River, Alberta, this week to assess the needs of homeowners whose houses were damaged in a massive late-spring flood. World Renew has been responding to the disaster since it occurred in June 2013 and has plans in place to continue a long-term response that could extend into the next two or three years.

“In the last three months, many volunteers from Christian Reformed churches (CRCs) in the area have given their time, energy, and skills to serve those who were affected by this widespread disaster,” says World Renew DRS Regional Manager Henry Visscher. “The hope, faith, and encouragement they have shared has truly been a ministry of God’s presence in a time of loss and strain.”

The flood, the worst in the area’s history, forced 100,000 people from their homes. Two Christian Reformed churches (CRCs) were directly affected, and First Nations reservations both east and west of Calgary also sustained serious damage.

Soon after the disaster occurred, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) gathered volunteers from Christian Reformed congregations in Alberta to help flood survivors in Calgary, High River, Canmore, and Bragg Creek clear debris, muck out their homes, and find comfort in the God who loves them. This early response was done in collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse and Mennonite Disaster Services.

“The disaster has created an opportunity for non-government organizations (NGOs) in Alberta who are active in disaster response to work collaboratively,” Visscher says. “World Renew DRS is a member of the Alberta NGO Council, which was invited to participate in the Provincial Operation Center at its early stage following the disaster.”

In the initial response, World Renew’s NGO partners coordinated clean-up efforts that were centered in three large semi-trailers set up in different staging areas. A Volunteer Call-in Center received more than 5,000 calls from people who offered to volunteer in the response, including a number of CRC members from northern and southern Alberta. Some CRC church teams also made direct contact with the Christian Reformed churches in the affected areas and helped with clean up. But as the response developed, it became clearer that some homeowners did not have the means to complete the repairs needed on their own.

“World Renew DRS staff and management volunteers supported the High River community as they formed a committee to help homeowners recover long term,” says World Renew DRS Director Bill Adams. “As a result, World Renew DRS Area Representatives Ulrich and Liya Haasdyk along with a team of 18 trained volunteers began working with the High River Renewal Committee last week to start to determine residents’ unmet needs.”

Once residents who have the most need are prioritized, World Renew DRS will begin to address those needs through volunteer labor to repair and rebuild homes. World Renew staff estimate that reconstruction teams will be mobilized in High River starting in November and continue reconstruction for two or three years, depending on the need.