HELPING PEOPLE IN CRISIS

June 8, 2010: It was our pleasure today to have our own Rob Dewey, Chaplain with the COASTAL CRISIS CHAPLAINCY, as our guest speaker. This ministry will be 20 years in service in January, serving 36 agencies in the Charleston County area, including all police and fire departments. Their mission is to respond immediately, as quickly as within 30 to 45 minutes of the episode, to people experiencing a crisis. It has been proven that connecting with a victim within the first hours, significantly improves their recovery. The three chaplains handle between 1400 and 1700 calls per year, many of which never make the news services; others, like a recent drowning of a child or a homicide, do make the news. By quickly, their goal is to arrive within 30 to 45 minutes of an emergency to provide caring and support to the survivors whose need is great. In many instances, they attend to issues in the school, counseling students, parents, teachers and staff. Rob showed us a film in which several survivors spoke of how effective the Crisis Chaplaincy was to them.

Submitted by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee