Hurricanes highlight importance of spiritually based trauma care

Churches provide places to restock and recharge — literally and emotionally

by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service

In the days following Hurricane Helene, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina, became a hub to distribute essential supplies, including water. (Photo courtesy of Mesheala Sundblade)

In the midst of organizing hurricane relief to secure the physical well-being of neighbors, PC(USA) leaders recognize the spiritual effects of trauma. With back-to-back hurricanes striking Florida within less than two weeks and disasters in general becoming more intense because of climate change, “there is so much loss of life, so much stress,” said the Rev. Dr. Kathy Riley, Associate for Emotional and Spiritual Care for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance  (PDA).

That’s something the Rev. Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop, pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina, has experienced both personally and through the community members being served by the church in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“Please keep praying for western North Carolina. We are exhausted, and we are carrying so much together right now. So much is lost, so much has changed,” Mount Shoop wrote on Oct. 5 as she continued to organize supplies and relocation resources for neighbors through her network on Facebook. “The trauma is intense with little time and space to release,” she added as she asked for the very basic of prayers. “If you are reading this, please pause and take a deep breath on our behalf. As everything sinks in, it is a lot. Too much, too fast — the very definition of trauma.” A day earlier, Mount Shoop called attention to how much Asheville and its surrounding towns had lost in terms of fresh water, power and infrastructure, which was forcing people to consider relocating both temporarily and, in some cases, when jobs or homes also disappeared, permanently.

Every day from noon through 4 p.m., Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church opens its doors and distributes needed items to people affected by Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Mesheala Sundblade)

Grace Covenant had already begun to relocate families, and according to Mount Shoop, it was looking for “a true wraparound community that can embrace these families that are so traumatized.” In the days following, the church became a hub to distribute essential supplies and water. For the past eight years, Grace Covenant has been intentional in their vision and practices to dismantle white supremacy in their church and community through developing deep partnerships in the community. According to Mount Shoop, this work allowed their site to offer Spanish translation services to those seeking assistance and to build a multicultural hub of support in Asheville.

“We are a supply site, so we are dealing with necessities and housing,” Mount Shoop said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “What is happening here at this site is people coming together. We cry. We hug. We listen to one another.” She added that people coming to the site for supplies have become friends, and some have shown up to worship. “The way that beloved community is medicine for trauma is alive here. I’m watching everybody build community, and it’s a beautiful thing.”

How to respond to trauma was also on the hearts and minds of First Presbyterian Church of Asheville. While relief funds and efforts were being coordinated by the church’s associate pastor, the Rev. David Germer, members shared their reflections on the impact of their shared trauma through blog posts and social media. In a blog posted to the church website titled “Living Through a Crisis,” the Rev. Diane Rehfield, a retired pastor, licensed therapist and new member of the church, shared a personal reflection on what it means for the church and its neighbors to live through this trauma together. “We have all been through a traumatic event. For many, the trauma is continuing.” Rehfield advised North Carolina residents to “recognize that none of us are functioning as well as we otherwise would be. Many of us can be brave and steady for days on end, but eventually all of us need to release stress somehow.” Rehfield listed symptoms of trauma and complex grief to be aware of, such as changes to sleep, appetite and temper, along with depression and anxiety that is free-floating or targeted to a need to control minor things. Rehfield advised walking outside in daylight, crying when you feel like it, helping somebody else, establishing routines, talking to others and sharing your stories. “Come to church!” she encouraged. “Many of us are using the internet and charging here, so there are people to talk to every day.”

For people who are traumatized in the wake of disaster, “it can be really helpful to know that they’re with someone who’s faith-based, who’s holding their cares, their concerns, their trauma in a space that involves prayer and turning to God, whether or not that’s articulated in the moment” said Riley in a recent interview about PDA’s response to this season of hurricanes. According to Riley, PDA has deployed three initial response in-person teams to North Carolina, Georgia and Florida and a fourth hybrid team to northeast Tennessee. Two additional deployments are scheduled for South Carolina and more requests are expected to come in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Donors have been so generous that Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church had to get creative about displaying goods it’s getting into the hands of hurricane-affected families. (Photo by Mesheala Sundblade)

Traditionally, Riley’s teams that are dedicated to emotional and spiritual care deploy later than the initial response teams  that assess and meet the immediate needs of affected areas. In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Riley says PDA will be sending team members in earlier to do listening sessions and one-to-ones with faith leaders who are managing the crisis after the hurricanes.

“There’s a lot of questions that come that people may not have asked until this kind of trauma hits, and our approach at PDA is first and always to listen, to accept, and to hold those questions and those challenges without feeling the need to give answers or a clear response,” said Riley. She said it’s helpful to let people know that it’s OK to ask those questions and compared the need to ask these to the kind of language seen in many of the psalms.

According to Riley, ministry of presence in this context means sitting at the table and listening as long as people need to talk, and then, if welcome, making simple confessional statements that are authentic, like, “I believe God is with you in this, even if it is hard to see.” Another statement might be: “I believe God is as devasted as we all are from this suffering.” PDA team members are prepared ahead of time to identify what their understanding of God is in trauma. This way they can offer simple, basic confessional statements that are personal and true, like, “I turn to God and tell God what I think and feel, and I know God can hold that.”

The magnitude of losses from Hurricane Helene, the fear that loomed with Hurricane Milton and the prospect of recurring hurricanes has ramped up anxiety along the southern Atlantic coast. While this hypervigilance is currently concentrated in Florida and the areas hit by the outer bands of the storm, Riley said trauma is reactivated for someone who’s just been through a hurricane, even if it’s two states away.

Presence and prayer do have a part to play in acknowledging the ongoing trauma of those affected by natural disasters and covenanting to be with them through the long haul of recovery. Valerie Young, synod executive and stated clerk of the Synod of South Atlantic, has organized a prayer service for Saturday, Oct. 12, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Register here to attend via Zoom.

Give to Disaster Relief — U.S. Hurricane Response.