Volunteers
Team Leaders. Team Leaders lead field volunteers to assist survivors. They must make good judgments to use time and resources wisely, preserve the safety of volunteers, protect property, and serve the needs of survivors in accordance with church leaders’ priorities. Team Leaders may prioritize work, refuse to fulfil a work request if it does not align with church leaders’ priorities, split up or combine teams, request assistance from other teams, and creatively solve problems in the field.
Volunteers. To preserve the safety of survivors and the good name of the Church, volunteers who wear the Mormon Helping Hands yellow vests must be known and trusted by church leaders and members. While Mormon Helping Hands volunteers need not be members of the Church, church leaders should avoid soliciting large numbers of spontaneous volunteers from the community.
The purpose of disaster recovery efforts is to restore the hope of survivors by ministering to their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs; and to give service. (See Handbook 2, 6.1“The purposes of Church welfare are to help members become self-reliant, to care for the poor and needy, and to give service.” (LDS.org); D&C 81:5“Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (LDS.org); Mosiah 18:8-9“…and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—” (LDS.org)).
Opportunities to serve include listening and ministering to survivors, field work, parking and logistics, first aid, assessing needs, child care, communications, remote 2-1-1 phone center volunteers, etc.
Principles of Disaster Recovery: During relief efforts, team leaders and volunteers should consider the following five principles of disaster recovery:
- Follow church policy, and direction from church leaders.
- Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
- Use good judgment and be safe. Team leaders must actively exercise good judgment and listen to team members’ counsel. Team leaders may decline to perform work if they feel it is inappropriate, unsafe, or does not align with church leaders’ priorities.
- Over-communicate. It is impossible to communicate too much after a disaster. Strict hierarchical lines of communication are ineffective at delivering fast and accurate information to large numbers of people after a disaster. During disaster response, communicate and counsel with everyone at every level as much as possible, guided by the counsel and teachings of those with keys and the Spirit. Multi-level over-communication will help minimize misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
- Be creative, flexible, and proactive. Members and leaders should be creative and flexible. Recovery efforts never go according to plan, and novel problems require fast and creative solutions from whoever happens to be in the field at the time. All things should be done in wisdom, order, and under the direction of priesthood keys, however, individual initiative–guided by the Spirit–may be required to address circumstances on the ground. Leaders teach correct principles and help those they lead learn to govern themselves. (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2011), 281-91“John Taylor, the third President of the Church, reported: “Some years ago, in Nauvoo, a gentleman in my hearing, a member of the Legislature, asked Joseph Smith how it was that he was enabled to govern so many people, and to preserve such perfect order; remarking at the same time that it was impossible for them to do it anywhere else. Mr. Smith remarked that it was very easy to do that. ‘How?’ responded the gentleman; ‘to us it is very difficult.’ Mr. Smith replied, ‘I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.’” (LDS.org)
). “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things… Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.” (D&C 58:26-29“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.” (LDS.org)). Being in the right place at the right time makes you the right person.
Answers to All of Your Questions
- Policies on Service (Age, End Dates, Proselytizing, Proselytizing, etc.)
- Procedures (How to Get Work Orders, Absent Residents, Releases, Don’t Spray for Mold, Helping Unscheduled Neighbors, Reimbursement, etc.)
- Safety Information (Liability, Risk, and Insurance, Spiritual & Emotional Well-Being, Chainsaws, Nails, Risky Trees, etc.)
- Communication Strategies