Archive
Faithful Action: Working with Religious Groups in Disaster Planning, Response and Recovery
Executive Summary Faith-based organizations provide services before, during, and after disasters. Studies of catastrophes—from 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to local wildfires—describe the important role of the faith community as a source of …
Appendix: Geographic Profile of Imperial County
Imperial County is located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, …
Appendix: Geographic Profile of Oakland
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724. …
Appendix: Geographic Profile of Irvine
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California. It is a master planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Irvine was formally incorporated on December 28, …
Appendix: Geographic Profile of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in the state of California, and the second most populous in the United States, …
Additional Appendices
The following appendices are available in the PDF of Faithful Action. Glossary of Acronyms Select Organizations Works Referenced California Congregations Assest Mapping and Risk Communication Survey for Public Health Emergencies and Disaster …
Footnotes
1 Lawson, Erma J. (2007) “Wading in the Waters: Spirituality and Older Black Katrina Survivors,” Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved,18.2: 341-354. Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation …
Introduction
Faith-based organizations (FBOs) and faith leaders serve as focal points for people seeking physical, social, emotional, and spiritual care when disasters strike, as evidenced by responses to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane …
Current Environment and Need for Engagement
As the social safety net of the United States erodes, faith-communities often work to fill many of the unmet needs of their congregations and their surrounding communities on a day-to-day basis. They …
Types and Tiers of Faith Communities
Similar to the assumptions noted previously, most discussions of the potential role of the faith community to act in various public capacities assume that there is a singular entity made up of …
Roles of Congregations
Polls show that during times of crisis, nearly 60 percent of Americans say they turn first to a religious leader for comfort and guidance.21 In the wake of crisis or disaster, it …
Congregations and Faith Based Organizations in Disasters: Setting the Stage
The story of Katrina, and the role of the faith communities in response to the devastation caused both by the storm and human error, helped fuel a new and evolving interest in …
Recommendations
Based on the foregoing, the authors recommend that Cal EMA consider the following points as it formulates a strategy to build competent sustainable relationships with and include faith communities of all “types” …
Conclusion
Faith-based organizations represent an important ally for public agencies as they seek to strengthen and enhance disaster preparedness and response in California. Because of their diversity and ubiquity, faith-based organizations serve as …
Faith-Based Organizations and Disaster Response and Recovery
KPCC interviewed Brie Loskota about a new report from the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, “Faithful Action Working with Religious Groups in Disaster Planning, Response and Recovery.” This report details …
Assets of Congregations
U.S. congregations number in excess of 345,000 making them the most ubiquitous institutions in all neighborhoods across the United States. In the five-county greater Los Angeles area, for example, there are more …
Barriers to Public Agencies and Faith Communities Working Together
Congregations and FBOs often experience barriers to working with government. These barriers may be due to the characteristics of a particular faith group, or due to the lack of religious literacy or …
Faith Community’s Call to Action: 20 Years After the L.A. Riots
Brie Loskota testified at a public hearing hosted by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission. The event, “L.A. Civil Unrest: A Community Blueprint for the Next 20 …
Movies, Money and Morality
This post originally appeared on Trans-Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. When I was a kid the Movieguide newsletter would arrive and, if I was quick enough, I …
Black History Month: Looking Foward, Looking Back
This post originally appeared on Trans-Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion site. At the beginning of Black History month we were greeted with tragic news: Don Cornelius, the founder …