Church leaders in northwest Harris County are collaborating to learn from their Hurricane Harvey experiences to be better prepared to aid in the recovery process of future disasters.

Godfrey Hubert, president of HOPE Disaster Recovery, led a meeting of the Congregational Disaster Readiness Initiative earlier this month at Foundry Church in Cy-Fair. The group’s goal is to expedite relief and recovery in communities affected by disasters.

At the meeting, northwest Harris County congregational leaders and government agency representatives shared their memories of the immediate aftermath of Harvey. Many said they were inspired by the generosity of community members willing to help their neighbors despite cultural and religious backgrounds.

However, the consensus among leaders was that there was a lack of coordination, strategic planning and communication between the groups serving residents affected by the storm. With more preparation, they said, they could have better served their neighborhoods.

“We’re here to help our communities heal quickly in times of disaster,” Hubert said. “But the most important thing that I learned is not what we do once the disaster hits. The most important thing is what you do in the sunny moments, the sunny days—preparing.”

The Congregational Disaster Readiness Initiative consists of several task forces, including communication; sheltering; laundry; medical support; pets; muck and gut; compassionate care; chainsaw and cleanup; supplies distribution center; donations distribution center; and volunteer coordination.

As these task forces collaborate toward a common goal, Hubert said it will be easier to expedite recovery and not “revictimize” victims. For instance, if volunteers are not adequately trained to help restore homes, they could be setting up families for even bigger expenses later, he said.

The northwest Harris County initiative, which officially launched May 22, is a partnership between HOPE Disaster Recovery, Houston Responds and several other local agencies. Hubert said having this single umbrella group will allow for a coordinated effort to identify, recruit, organize, train and mobilize congregations to respond during disasters in a cooperative manner.

Houston Responds Executive Director Tommy Rosson said there are still 50,000 residents throughout the Greater Houston area who are not back in their homes two years after Harvey. Many have lost hope after being turned away from federal assistance programs, although there are resources available to help, he said.

“What makes Harvey look so much different than everything else that you’ve ever seen is [because of] our economy—nobody left,” Rosson said. “The biggest struggle we’re having is once somebody … is told no three or four times after six months, they stop asking [for help].”

Hubert said he hopes to see at least 100 churches participate in this coalition. Local churches can learn more at HOPE Disaster Recovery’s October RebuildFest or sign up to participate in the initiative at www.houstonresponds.formstack.com/forms/cdr.