What is capacity?

Capacity-building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes, and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world.

Increasing preparedness and response capacity are strategic investments that can make an enormous difference in a community. Capacity-building projects can include strengthening relationships with local officials, finding ways to better recruit volunteers, adding storage space, updating technology, training response team members, and better utilizing vehicles or equipment.

Little things end up being game changers.

If you had to guess, how many pastors consider the size of the church’s front door as an important part of a disaster response? When it comes to moving a pallet through that door with a forklift, the size of the door is critical.

Take inventory and expand your building's capacity by:

Widening the entry and internal doorways.
Increasing storage space for disaster relief supplies and equipment.
Adding function to a space, making it convertible or multi-purpose.
Updating communication technology.
Adding restroom facilities and a shower area.
Enlarging and equipping kitchen facilities.
Securing local contacts for renting forklifts or pallet jacks.
Securing contacts for renting refrigerated trailers.
Expanding the parking lot and condensing stationary obstacles to allow for large vehicle traffic.
Adding a loading dock.

A church’s greatest asset is its people.

Increase your church’s capacity for disaster awareness and grow a volunteer base by involving kids and young adults. Explore the resources below.

Elevation Church – Charlotte, North Carolina

Elevation Church began as a church plant with a handful of families who gathered in a high school. This February, they celebrated their 15th year as a multi-site church. During this development, they established a warehouse space to accommodate supplies for their growing ministry initiatives. The shelves in their warehouse hold dignity kits for women, snack packs for kids, disaster relief supplies, and equipment for community clean-up projects, block parties, and concerts. The increase in their building capacity has allowed for an increase in outreach opportunity.

Watch the video to hear more from Suzanne Spantgos, the Hospitality and Resource Director for Elevation Church.

Check Out the Video

Chad Craft directs the LIFT Disaster Response Team at Crossroads Fellowship.
On February 14, 2020, the LIFT group was officially launched. Since then, Chad facilitates the team’s capacity-building by:

Prayerfully and strategically strengthening relationships with local government officials.
Implementing quarterly training on skills.
Increasing vehicle and equipment inventory.

Community Engagement:

Tarping Roofs
Clearing brush and disaster debris.
Removing snow for elderly people.
Repairing and recovering projects.

Watch the Video

Be it a disaster or community in a distressed economy, the essentials of everyday life are sometimes taken for granted. Churches and companies around the country are partnering with Convoy of Hope to make a variety of kits. Through our programs, we distribute them in a timely manner to those who are going through a season of great need.

Help us build:

Hygiene kits.
Family hygiene kits.
Baby care kits.
Cleanup kits (buckets).

Start Your Kit

K-LOVE Crisis Response — Sign Up for Free Classes

Crisis Response Care is a program designed for first responders, chaplains, and community volunteers to deepen their knowledge on crisis response.

Want to chat?

Contact us at dsengagement@convoyofhope.org.

Until next time!

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