Archive
CRCC Honored at White House for Helping L.A. Become Stronger and Better Prepared for Disasters
By Rebecca Cheng Brie Loskota, executive director of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, was honored at the White House last week for her work bridging faith organizations and government …
Religion News Service: 15 Years After 9/11, Are Congregations Prepared for Disasters?
The 15th anniversary of 9/11 reminds religious leaders of the important role of congregations when faced with community disasters, Religion News Service reported. Few faith leaders, however, actually prepare plans to address …
FEMA Releases Religious Literacy Course
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a groundbreaking online training course to help disaster and emergency management professionals and volunteers work with religious communities. The web-based course, IS-505: Religious and Cultural …
Tips Sheets on Engaging Faith Communities in Disasters
People of faith, congregations and faith-based organization provide essential relief and recovery functions after disasters. It is essential for government personnel and institutions, therefore, to understand the potential contributions and unique needs …
Loskota at USC Roundtable on Security with Clinton
Los Angeles is a model for how to engage communities in the fight against extremism, Secretary Hillary Clinton said at a roundtable on homeland security hosted by Mayor Eric Garcetti at the …
Engaging Faith Communities in Disasters Curriculum
How can disaster response professionals engage faith communities during crises? Incorporating diverse religious and cultural groups into disaster response builds the resilience of the whole community. The USC Center for Religion and …
What’s the Role of Prayer After Mass Shootings?
A mass shooting in San Bernardino, California has sparked a debate about the appropriateness of prayer after such incidents. CRCC Managing Director Brie Loskota commented on the debate on KPCC’s Take Two. …
9/11 and Pope Francis: Bringing New York City’s Faith Communities Together
Timothy Cardinal Dolan welcomed Pope Francis to “A Witness to Peace,” a multi-religious gathering at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, by telling him, “We in New York are sinners.” “But,” …
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina: How Faith Communities Can Save Lives
One year before Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Louisiana’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness conducted a tabletop exercise that simulated a Category 3 hurricane hitting and …
Tip Sheets: Sheltering and Mass Care of Religious Minorities in a Disaster
In a disaster, governmental, non-profit and faith-based organizations must respond to the needs of a diverse population. It’s an essential that those who seek to help those in need know how to …
Securing God’s Sanctuary – How to Protect Your Congregation from Attacks
A version of this article also ran in LA Sentinel. The vicious killing of nine people attending Bible Study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC has created a national concern for …
Competitive Religious Philanthropy in the Wake of the Nepali Earthquake
This post originally appeared at Religion Dispatches. The death toll in Nepal has surpassed 8,500, Reuters reported this week, making it the country’s deadliest earthquake on record. In the aftermath of the disaster, …
Do Government Regulations Get in the Way of Doing Good After a Disaster?
This post was originally published by Zócalo Public Square. Any time now, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is going to announce whom he has hired to be the city’s chief resilience officer, the …
Faith Communities and Whole Community Resilience
It’s in the proverbial DNA of faith communities to respond to human suffering. But most American congregations and major faith traditions have not yet developed a culture of disaster preparedness or an …
Richard Flory Addresses the Los Angeles City Council
This post was a speech delivered to the Los Angeles City Council and a gathering of religious leaders whose communities are working with the City on disaster preparedness. Good morning, it is …
Want to Build a More Resilient City? Bring Faith to the Table
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced his commitment to hire a Chief Resilience Officer, who will be tasked with increasing the city’s ability to recover from man-made and natural disasters. This …
Working with U.S. Faith Communities During Crises, Disasters and Public Health Emergencies: A Field Guide for Engagement, Partnerships and Religious Competency
This field guide provides detailed instructions for engaging and building sustainable and competent partnerships with faith communities throughout the entire disaster lifecycle. It is accompanied by a Religious Literacy Primer. Published by …
The Religious Literacy Primer for Crises, Disasters and Public Health Emergencies
A companion to the Field Guide for Religious Competency, the Religious Literacy Primer is a quick-reference document which provides information on basic religious literacy for 23 of the largest religious communities in …
The Role of Religious Competency and Literacy in Disaster
(Photo: Dvids / Flickr) Disasters do not occur in a secular vacuum. This means that the impact of a disaster on the lives of individuals—and on the communities in which they live—must …
Is Your Disaster Theology Inclusive?
CRCC’s Executive Director Brie Loskota was quoted by United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) about management of congregations during economic disasters that arise in wake of extreme weather. An excerpt from the …