Faith-Based and Volunteer Partnership Resources

Fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, arson and active shooters can all affect houses of worship. With incidents occurring with little to no warning, many houses of worship are developing and updating plans and procedures to ensure the safety and security of their congregations, staff, and facilities. 

Training and planning exercises may enhance the disaster preparedness – and response and recovery capabilities and capacity – of the voluntary, faith-based, and community partner organizations, staff and volunteers. 

This page's resources may support your faith-based and community-based organization.

Stay informed with our webinars, local stories and opportunities to provide feedback.

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U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SEAL

About the Office

The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships seeks to build bridges across the whole community and to help overcome coordination challenges and engage a broad cross-section of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in all stages of the disaster cycle.

Find Faith-Based and Volunteer Resources

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Voluntary Agency Liaisons

FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) build relationships among government, voluntary, faith- and community-based, private sector, philanthropic, and whole community partners who help communities manage disasters.

Learn How to Get Involved


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Mass Attacks in Public Spaces - 2023

An analysis of 173 incidents of targeted violence that occurred in public spaces within the U.S. that occurred between 2016-2020.

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Learn more at SecretService.gov.

Blue Campaign: Human Trafficking General Awareness

These videos provide an overview of human trafficking and the Blue Campaign. Human trafficking victims are often invisible because we do not recognize indicators of human trafficking. Identifying signs of human trafficking and reporting a tip may save a life.

DHS Blue Campaign

The DHS Blue Campaign  is a national public awareness campaign, designed to educate on how to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases.

The Faith-Based Security Advisory Council (FBSAC)

Provides organizationally independent, strategic, timely, specific and actionable advice to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement whom also serves as the DHS Faith-Based Organization Security Coordinator.

Science and Technology Directorate

Supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terrorism prevention mission by conducting applied research, evaluation, and integrating scientifically derived knowledge to inform policy and programs throughout the Homeland Security Enterprise.

Emergency Food and Shelter Program

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) supplements and expands the ongoing work of local social service organizations, both nonprofit and governmental, to provide shelter, food and supportive services to individuals, families and households who are experiencing, or at risk of, hunger and/or homelessness. 

Learn more about the EFSP.

DHS Nonprofit Security Grant Program

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations. This funding is available to promote emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration between public and private community representatives. 

See all FEMA preparedness grants.

Cultural and Religious Literacy Tip Sheets

Engagement guidelines and other resources for working with leaders from different faith groups.

Mobilizing Faith-Based Community Organizations in Preparing for Disaster

This 8-hour, planning and management-level course trains faith-based community organization (FBCO) representatives, management-level emergency managers, and first responders from small and rural communities to strategically mobilize and engage members of FBCOs, including religious charities, nonprofits such as the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, churches (both affiliated and unaffiliated), temples, synagogues, mosques, and NGOs etc., in a reciprocal approach to disaster planning that is integrated into current local and statewide emergency management efforts.

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Learn more about this training on RuralTraining.org.

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