Category: Emergency Preparedness & Response

US: Training Leads for Disaster Response

May 15, 2019

As part of IOCC’s ongoing efforts to grow our effectiveness and reach here in the United States, more than 30 volunteers completed a three-day training this month in Minneapolis, Minnesota, preparing to lead IOCC’s disaster response teams.

US: Serv-X-Treme Alumni, Orthodox Seminarians Support Long-Term Recovery

February 28, 2019

When disaster damages a home, emergency response is only the beginning. Rebuilding and recovering can take years. IOCC’s Orthodox Action Teams, part of the US program, help meet immediate ...

A Glimmer of Hope Among the Ashes

January 10, 2019

IOCC deployed Frontliners to parts of northern California, where fires devastated communities in late 2018. IOCC Frontliners, specially trained to care for people affected by disasters, delivered supplies and were on hand ...

“Every Bit of Help Matters”

December 6, 2018

When fast-moving fires swept through the seaside village of Mati, Greece, Olga and her family lost their home. But they didn't lose each other, and they didn't lose hope. Olga and her husband had worked hard to create a safe, loving home full ...

Romania: Starting Fresh After the Floods

December 3, 2018

Earlier this year, heavy floods hit Romania, causing extensive flooding in rural areas—and affecting almost 100 villages across 19 counties. Hundreds of homes were flooded, too, and families had to evacuate. They returned home to find waterlogged ...

US: Growing the Orthodox Disaster-Response Network

December 3, 2018

IOCC volunteer Mark McGilvery spotted “Hope” in the debris pile—stenciled onto a large part of a wall that had been removed from a flooded home in Wilmington, NC. Mark salvaged the message, cutting it out of the drywall, and the muck-out team ...

IOCC’s Hurricane Michael Response

November 9, 2018

Hurricane Michael struck the Florida Panhandle as one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the country, causing extensive storm surge on the coast and hundreds of tornadoes as it crossed into Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. The full extent of damage is still ...

IOCC’s Updated Response to Florence

September 21, 2018

Hurricane Florence is gone, but the work of response and recovery is just beginning. IOCC is on the ground in North Carolina ...

IOCC’s Response to Hurricane Florence

September 14, 2018

Hurricane Florence has set a direct course for the Carolinas and is expected to cause torrential rain, dangerous flooding, and storm surge across the region. IOCC is preparing ...

A Note From the Field

September 11, 2018

The week of August 13, 2018, ten alumni of IOCC’s Serv-X-treme youth leadership conference gathered from all over the country in Daytona Beach, Florida. Our assignment was to rebuild a home for John, a veteran, who lives on a fixed income in a one-bedroom ...