Rev. Dr. Janet Bell Odom’s on-the-job training has been trial by hurricane.The North Texas Conference’s new disaster response coordinator was just getting her footing in her new appointment when Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast. She has been racing ever since to organize conference relief efforts for people suddenly forced from their homes as the storm made landfall in Rockport and dumped record rain in Houston and southeast Texas.

In a marathon of conference calls, shelter visits, trips for baby items and arranging volunteer training, Dr. Odom says she’s in a “God-sent spot.” “I’ve always been a busy person. I’m not one to sit around,” she said.

She had barely gotten her badge for basic early response training when the Category 4 hurricane made landfall last month, August 25, in Rockport. Other than reading some books, perusing a job file and praying, she’s been learning her position by doing. Her predecessor, Marji Bishir-Hill, had already left for a new post in North Carolina when Dr. Odom came on board in July.

So, Dr. Odom has dived into the coordinator role. She’s found herself establishing drop-off points for flood buckets, collecting baby baths and pack-and-plays for infants to sleep in at area evacuee shelters, and providing spiritual guidance to the displaced. She’s working with the four North Texas Conference district trainers for early response teams (ERTs), and more than 300 ERT volunteers as she coordinates with her peers in the Texas and Rio Texas conferences.
[ from an article on our Conference website, NTCUMC.org ]