Isaiah 58:12
Founding Verse & Mission Statement
"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
Is. 58:12
Mission Statement
To prepare communities for disasters and meet the short and long-term needs of disaster victims
Isaiah 58:12 Disaster Relief & Preparedness
Isaiah 58:12 was birthed out of a shared passion to help others and be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in need. After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, reports of massive destruction and loss flooded the news and many felt compelled to help. Some donated funds and many headed south to lend a hand. Fulton Sheen organized a group of volunteers from Southwest Michigan to help clear debris, clean out houses, remove mold, and replace drywall to help get people back into their homes. The need was so great that Fulton and original team members continued organizing trips to help; he and other volunteers returned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast area 16 times over the next two years.
After the first few trips, and continued efforts to raise funds to pay for supplies, Fulton and his core group of volunteers felt a call to formalize their efforts by establishing a non-profit disaster relief group, and so Isaiah 58:12 was born. Since Hurricane Katrina, Isaiah 58:12 has sent teams to assist in local community relief efforts and disasters across the nation from hurricanes to severe flooding. We've also partnered with the Austin Disaster Relief Network (Austin, TX) in assisting over 3,400 families after Hurricane Harvey through the provision of food, clothing, personal items and volunteers, as well as providing donations to help victims of recent freezing disasters to repair water damage and burst pipes.
Shortly after its inception, Isaiah 58:12 expanded its focus to include disaster preparedness, and now trains individuals in disaster preparedness and response through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Course. The CERT training program is a collaborative development of FEMA and Law Enforcement and Emergency Personnel across the nation, designed to teach citizens how to not only be personally prepared for disasters but also to assist emergency personnel when they are overwhelmed. In the wake of major disasters, emergency responders are often overworked and overwhelmed, hence the CERT training course was developed to help communities build up an army of certified volunteers, trained to safely assist emergency personnel in disaster situations. Isaiah 58:12 has trained and certified over 1,600 volunteers from across the state of Michigan and the nation in the CERT program. Through Isaiah 58:12’s CERT training efforts and relationship building with local government agencies and emergency personnel, Isaiah 58:12 became the first non-government organization recognized by the state of Michigan as a Disaster Mobilization group.
When not actively responding to disasters, Isaiah 58:12 works to prepare individuals and families for disasters, train volunteers in disaster response, and help meet community needs. We seek to provide assistance to those in the greatest need in our community, our nation, and across the world. Isaiah 58:12 strives to reach across barriers to help and unite all people through the love of Christ, regardless of belief, color, or orientation.