Thank you to everyone who worked on these incidents. A special thank you goes to Vince Porcelli, who was our On-call Leadership chaplain for these events.

Deacon Bob Gontcharuk, a chaplain and member of the DCS Leadership Team, was one of the chaplains present for the exercise.  Gontcharuk expressed gratitude for the chance to refresh his skills with this exercise, “I thought it was great. The drill proved to me the importance of periodic continuing education in responding to disasters and critical events. There is great value in this type of interagency collaboration and training.”

DCS offers thanks to the teams at Air France, ARC-GNY, the Port Authority, and staff at JFK for this opportunity.  We all hope our training and skills in this type of event is never needed, but if we are called, Disaster Chaplaincy Services is prepared to respond.

Rev. Julie Taylor, Rev. Dr. Willard Ashley, County Executive Dennis McNerney, Lt. Dwane Razzetti, Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ, 23 April, 2010 –
Disaster Chaplaincy Services (DCS) is pleased to announce the signing of an affiliation agreement with Bergen County, New Jersey. Disaster Chaplaincy Services–Bergen County (DCS-Bergen County) will be at the forefront of spiritual care in disaster response in New Jersey.

The signing ceremony was attended by County Executive Dennis McNerney, Lt. Dwane Razzetti of the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management, DCS board members Rev. Dr. Willard Ashley, Fr. Emile Frische, Deacon Robert Gontcharuk, Rev. Julie Taylor, and Bergen County clergy Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg and others. Rabbi Schoenberg brought the idea of a DCS-Bergen County to Lt. Razzetti over a year ago and the teams began to work together.

County Executive McNerney said this of the agreement, “Thanks to Disaster Chaplaincy Services whose experience in the past decade has helped innumerable people in the emotional aftermath of disasters and other emergencies. We are embarking on a new program in New Jersey. The first affiliation agreement anywhere with Disaster Chaplaincy Services to improve the services to our residents in their most vulnerable times.”

Rev. Taylor commented, “We never know what community will be affected by a crisis. We need clergy from all faith traditions to be trained to work together and know how to respond within the incident command structures. This is a great opportunity for Bergen County.” It is DCS’ commitment to assist Bergen County’s OEM in training a multi-faith cadre of clergy from Bergen County and prepare them to respond to disasters, crises, and emergencies.

We are looking forward to this new affiliation, working with OEM and the new DCS-Bergen County in helping to provide direct spiritual care to support those in need.

Donate now to support the ongoing work of Disaster Chaplaincy Services.

The Board of Directors and the Leadership Team would like to thank the Taproot Foundation and specifically the members of the team who made this database a reality.

Thank you Bill Ramirez, Brigid D’Souza, Ethan Miller, Donette Hankins, and Kelly Attrill for your hard work and dedication to this project. You have enhanced the work of DCS and contributed greatly to our ability to fulfill our mission.

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DCS chaplains have served in public schools and churches as well as providing care over the phone and with referrals in Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey. Working with agencies such as the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC-GNY) and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, DCS has been able to provide direct spiritual care to countless people in the Haitian community who have been devastated by this earthquake.

One of our chaplains, Rev. Noster Montas, was deployed to the USNS Comfort as part of a group including volunteers from ARC-GNY, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers, and Haitian Americans United for Progress. Montas served as a translator aboard this US Navy medical ship.

The work continues as members of DCS are working with the National Association of Jewish chaplains to support Haitian clergy and healthcare workers in New Jersey.

Rev. Noster Montas prepares to deploy for 30 days on the USNS Comfort

NEW YORK, 19 January, 2010 — Disaster Chaplaincy Services’ (DCS) chaplain, Rev. Noster Montas is being deployed with a group from the New York area on a 30-day mission aboard the USNS Comfort off the coast of Haiti.  Montas is part of a 47 person contingent deployed by the American Red Cross in Greater New York and the Miami Red Cross chapter to be translators on the medical ship.  In addition to the DCS chaplain, included in the team are volunteers from the American Red Cross, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers, and the Haitian Americans United for Progress, all of whom are fluent in Kreyol and English.

Montas and the rest of the Greater New York Red Cross volunteers leave tomorrow to meet the USNS Comfort already en route to Haiti.  While Montas is out of the country, DCS will be staying in touch with his wife and two children to offer them support through this time.

Montas is a great example of what it means to be a Disaster Chaplaincy Services volunteer.  On one hour notice he cleared his schedule for the next month and made himself available for this difficult deployment.  His understanding that service is a sacrifice inspires all of us to use the gifts we have been given to help others in their time of need.

Thank you to Vince Porcelli who is our On-call Lead this month and has spent countless hours on the phone and email scheduling and organizing DCS’ local response.  And a special thank you to all the DCS chaplains who have deployed to the various sites around the city to listen, companion, and support all those in the Haitian community affected by this heartbreaking earthquake. DCS chaplains continue to be on alert and on call.

Our thoughts and prayers go with everyone on the USNS Comfort and to all the people of Haiti.
“L’union fait la force”–”In unity there is strength”

Peace and blessings,
Rev. Julie Taylor
Executive Director

Donate now to support the ongoing work of Disaster Chaplaincy Services.

Throughout the weekend DCS chaplains have given support to the Haitian community and are scheduled at a number of locations in the upcoming week.

Thank you to the many chaplains and staff who stepped up to this call. We continue to be in contact and communication with municipal agencies as well as our non-governmental agency partners regarding how DCS can best be of assistance in meeting the ongoing and emerging needs of the community.

For information on friends and family who may be affected in Haiti and the Federal response, click here for the White House Haiti Relief page.

Please consider making a donation to one of the many great organizations working on the relief effort, including Disaster Chaplaincy Services.

Click here to donate to Disaster Chaplain Services.