White House Official Visits Damaged Home, Lends a Hand

NASHVILLE -- Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, met with and assisted volunteers and faith-based groups Thursday as they deconstructed a home damaged by the severe storms and flooding between April 30 and May 18.

 

"President Obama, FEMA and our federal partners have been following this issue since day 1," said DuBois, a Nashville native whose father is a pastor in north Nashville. "So what I wanted to do was come here on behalf of the President and say we're with you every step of the way."

 

DuBois joined members of AmeriCorps' national and tribal Civilian Community Corps teams, a United Methodist disaster relief team and a Jewish disaster response organization called NECHAMA, who removed doors, walls, insulation, cabinets, and carpeting.

 

"We've been stripping down this house," DuBois said, outside a home in Madison, while the owner watched alongside a growing pile of debris placed next to the street. "It had pretty bad water damage."

 

Joining DuBois in the clean-up was David L. Myers, director of the Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives at the Department of Homeland Security, who is responsible for engaging religious and community groups in preparedness, relief, recovery and response, and sustainable risk management among faith-based and community organizations within local communities.

 

DuBois helps to direct the Obama Administration's engagement of faith-based and other nonprofit organizations.

 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is coordinating with more than 100 faith-based and non-profit organizations throughout West and Middle Tennessee.

 

More than 55,000 disaster survivors have registered for assistance in Tennessee. Nearly $133 million in disaster grants and low-interest loans has been approved since the major disaster declaration May 4.

 

Follow the recovery in Tennessee online at www.twitter.com/tema, www.twitter.com/femainfocus, www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, www.youtube.com/fema and www.flicker.com/photos/tema.

 

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FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.