Governor's Faith-Based & Community Service Partnership for Disaster Recovery

The Partnership Mission

The mission of the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Service Partnership for Disaster Recovery (The Partnership) is to aid Missourians' recovery plans by developing and implementing a holistic approach to disaster recovery, maximizing public and private resources to facilitate an efficient and effective integrated system addressing human services, housing, infrastructure, community and economic development issues.

Vision Statement of The Partnership

  • The Partnership acts to enhance Missouri's ability to plan and prepare for, mitigate against, respond to and recover from any disaster so that all Missourians, directly or indirectly affected, may be associated and empowered in their recovery.

The Governor's Faith-Based and Community Service Partnership for Disaster Recovery was created by an executive order issued by Gov. Mel Carnahan after the Great Flood of 1993 to improve the coordination of response to the overwhelming human needs caused by that event. The Partnership was reaffirmed by Executive Order 09-25 in September 2009.

As charged in the executive order, The Partnership’s duties and responsibilities are:

  • Develop and maintain operating protocols for the Partnership;
  • Serve as the coordinating organization in concert with the State Emergency Management Agency for emergency human services functions in natural disasters and terrorist events;
  • Provide a forum to enable collaborative organizations such as the Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MOVOAD) and Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization (MIDRO) to best serve Missourians in time of emergency;
  • Assure the responsiveness of public and private sector resources to citizens in time of disaster;
  • Improve the human services disaster response and recovery delivery methods with a goal of increasing service to the citizens of Missouri while maximizing the use of public and private sector resources;
  • Develop and maintain an effective response and recovery plan which includes those Missourians with special needs;
  • Function as a State Citizen Council for the State of Missouri, with support to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, on post-disaster human service issues; and
  • Develop and propose to the Governor's office, viable plans for funding recovery efforts in disasters that are undeclared, and to assist Missourians who are underserved in declared disasters.

Current Partnership Documents

Upcoming Meetings

Human Services Resources

Members of The Partnership

The Partnership is comprised of governmental and private agency representatives.

Members represent the state departments of:

Agriculture; Conservation; Economic Development; Elementary and Secondary Education; Health and Senior Services; Higher Education; Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration; Labor and Industrial Relations; Mental Health; Natural Resources; Office of Administration; Public Safety; Social Services; State Emergency Management Agency and University of Missouri – Extension Additional members represent the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Missouri Community Service Commission, United States Department of Agriculture, Missouri National Guard, and FEMA Region VII..

Private agency members represent:

American Red Cross, AmeriCorps - St. Louis, Church World Service, Convoy of Hope, Lutheran Disaster Services- Lutheran Family and Children’s Services, Missouri American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations, Missouri Association of Community Action, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, Missouri Baptist Convention, Missouri Catholic Conference, Missouri Emergency Preparedness Association, Missouri Interfaith Disaster Response Organization, Missouri Legal Services, Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri Sheriffs Association, Missouri United Methodist Conference, Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, The Salvation Army and United Way of Missouri.

Committees of the Partnership:

  • Access and Functional Needs Committee (AFNC)
  • Citizen Corps Committee (CC)
  • Disaster Case Management Committee (DCMC)
  • Emotional and Spiritual Care Committee (ESCC)
  • Faith-based Organization Disaster Initiative Committee (FaBODI)
  • Government Relations Committee
  • Legal Help in Disasters Committee (LeHDComm)

The Partnership is directed by two co-chairs. One co-chair represents the public sector members of the Partnership and is appointed by the Governor. This position is currently vacant. The second co-chair represents the private sector members of the Partnership and is elected by a majority vote of such members. This position is currently filled by Debi Meeds of the American Red Cross.

The Partnership staff support is provided by the State Emergency Management Agency’s State Voluntary Agency Liaison, Melissa Friel.