ACTS POLICY

ACTS has always used the policy of providing assistance at NO charge, which includes NO request for special offerings or advertising promotion. Freewill donations, or mention of ACTS has been greatly appreciated, to help cover expenses and respond as far as resources allow.  Whether assisting in First Response, or Long-term  Recovery groups which are responding year round, ACTS does NOT charge.

ACTS is distinctive in the following 13 ways in its expanding role in Disaster Response:

1. Point of Distribution (POD), where donated goods such as groceries, bottled water, ice, baby diapers, personal comfort supplies, cleaning materials, and household goods are provided by sorting and distribution to disaster survivors. In a declared disaster area, FEMA, the State and EOC, have on file from ACTS, a list of over 2 million dollars of equipment: Forklifts, Refrigerated trailers for ice, Tents and semi trailers for storage of donated goods, semi trucks, pallet jacks, diesel, gas and water storage tanks for First Response. First Responders must be ready to deploy and be in place within 36 hours in a given requested area. Organizing trained personnel and volunteers to accomplish massive sorting on site, and emergency distribution in a controlled manner is vital. FEMA, State, and Counties call on ACTS equipment and experienced management. The Southern Union Education Department organizes high school and College students, for massive distribution along with other volunteers. ACTS leaders provide leadership and volunteers in the given geographical areas.

2. Mass Feeding volunteers distribute pre-packaged meals and prepare hot meals working together with agencies such as the Red Cross, and also the EOC. In order to accomplish effective Mass Feeding and receive USDA food, the following equipment owned by ACTS is used:

Multiple mass feeding commercial kitchens of different sizes, Semi trucks to bring in food, generators, diesel, gas, water storage tanks, forklifts to unload USDA food, refrigerated and freezer semi-trailers are required. Also pallet jacks, large tents for storage and feeding, tables, chairs, $200,000 in pre-purchased plastic plates, cups, utensils, and enough food for the first 3-5 days to feed up to 10,000 meals per day, per site are needed.

Organizing trained personnel and volunteers for mass feeding is essential to pass inspections from the health department. ACTS kitchens have prepared and distributed 484,000 hot meals at a value of 3.6 million dollars in the past two years.

3. Search and Rescue Operations , with Physician, EMT, Paramedic, Nurse and other health care and rescue specialists work in cooperation with other recognized search and rescue organizations. These individuals are certified in rope, repelling and diving. ACTS has two triage semi-trailer expandable units with generators and AC for patient triage needs. ACTS is assembling smaller mobile vans to work from the base camp.

4. Emergency Medical Care volunteers work together with governmental and other health agencies in the distribution of first aid and other medical supplies. ACTS has a network of several hundred health professionals, who coordinate inoculations, and basic first aid care. ACTS has two triage semi trailer expandable units with generators and AC for patient needs. ACTS is assembling smaller mobile vans to work from the base camp. Trained personnel and volunteers assist with massive medical care. ACTS has successfully passed inspections from the health department.

5. Food Banks will allow distribution of fresh, frozen, and other foods and supplies to supplement Mass Feeding and Distribution PODS. ACTS knows the necessity to operate its own food bank chain because local food banks only permit a pallet or two of supplies to outside organizations, because of demands. ACTS semi trucks pick up and deliver these items. Existing Food banks do not provide these services. ACTS is franchising the establishment of food banks to also create industry and year-round ministry.

6. Roof Repair volunteers install tarps and work with the Army Corp. of Engineers alongside others. ACTS semi trucks, flatbed trailers and all-terrain forklifts make it possible to pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars of tarps from warehouses. Unfortunately, FEMA offers tarps two to four weeks after disasters occur. ACTS trucked in and oversaw the distribution and installation of 3040 tarps, within one week of the catastrophes (tarps have an uninstalled value of $300 each).

7. Yard Cleanup and tree removal are necessary for emergency housing. ACTS owns chain saws and cleanup supplies, which volunteers have used to clear 794 yards of debris. ACTS plans to purchase skid loaders in the near future.

8. Short and Long Term Housing reconstruction helpers work with other agencies. Plans are being laid for ACTS to coordinate assembling quick houses in a box, which will hold up better than house trailers.

9. Emergency Animal Care is provided through volunteer veterinarians and assistants. ACTS plans to purchase a mobile animal clinic. ACTS trucks have delivered semi loads of animal supplies for volunteers to distribute.

10. Volunteer and Prayer Helpline Calling Centers are being established to coordinate volunteers within each state. Hired students are being professionally trained to pray with individuals in need. ACTS' creates employment at various campuses. The calling center also serves as a helpline for other students and individuals in need.

11. Year-long Internship Taskforce Training programs are offered for Disaster Response. College students can receive credit hours while serving in the field. Full time ACTS employees, who have field experience, are working with these students.

12. A Command Center with satellite and ham radio will enable communication in time of Disaster. The Command center is a semi trailer with expandable sides being wired, with a new generator and AC.

13. Mobile Sound Stages provide spiritual and emotional care through music and encouragement. These are mobile “churches without walls”. Puppet drama is used to teach disaster preparedness from these stages as well.

Hurricane Katrina Noteworthy Happenings  

•  Bass Memorial Academy

Feeding 5,000 people a day takes a lot of food and food was running out. In fact there were only 1,200 hot dogs to serve the 5,000 people from the community and volunteers that came to the Florida community services mobile kitchen. The group of volunteers prayed for the Lord to stretch those hot dogs like He did the loaves and fishes of Bible times. At the end o the day, those 1,200 hot dogs had fed 5,500 with hot dogs left over! 

•  Waveland, Mississppi

Roberto was trying to make a refuse with some stacked firewood and a tarp after Katrina destroyed his home when Clayton, a volunteer from Tennessee , found him. Now he has a home built by the volunteers, a donated van and a new relationship with Jesus, the Master Carpenter.

•  Twenty-two student volunteers with donated goods and equipment arrived in Mississippi early one morning. Dale Bass, ACTS Logistics Director, listened to the list of donated items they brought. He was astonished when a new, commercial, gas-powered water pump was mentioned. Bass pointed and said, “Do you see those men standing in the circle? Do you know what they are praying for right now? A gas-powered water pump!” The pump provided the city of Waveland with its first and only shower facility for public use.

Contributions

•  Three distributions centers in Pervis, Lumberton , and Waveland , MS .

•  540 tarps distributed

•  Two triage and treatment medical units staffed by health care professionals.

•  Nightly public concerts offered to communities on mobile sound stages.

•  Two reroofings at Bass Memorial Academy . Removed debris and trees from 43 communities.

Century, Florida Disaster Relief

Century, Florida is a little town of 1,800 citizens located in Escambia County . In 2004, it already had the highest rate of poverty in the state, then Hurricane Ivan hit. When disaster relief aid was deployed, they were overlooked for disaster relief in favor of the larger City of Pensacola . The mayor had contacted, in vain, the president, the governor, and everyone else she could think of to get some help. She resorted to the only other thing she could think of: prayer. Then one day, to their relief a 14-truck convoy carrying supplies and volunteers lumbered into the little town. When asked how the ended up in Century, the ACTS team answered: “We got a call from a higher power.”

In July of 2005, Century, Florida again felt the effects of Hurricane Dennis and its mayor, Evelyn Manning immediately contacted Tallahassee and requested that the ACTS team be deployed to their town because of their prior good experience with the team.

Outreach

•  Block Parties

•  One-day ACTS training workshops