Global Disaster Response

Are you a health professional? Medical Teams open the doors in many fields. We work alongside national workers to provide needed medical care after a disaster has occurred. We have the capabilities to set up acute care and mobile clinics, make "home/tent" visits, and provide community health education.

Are you a person with good organization and administration skills? When a disaster team hits the ground, the team is eager to get on with the mission, be it setting up one of the first medical clinics in the area or assisting with construction or counseling. Unless the team has an internal organizational structure for water purification, procuring food, meal preparation and the like, the team will quickly disintegrate and become non-functional. While the team leader is often focused on coordinating the activities of the team members for serving the camp, the Aide-de-camp (ADC) and lay persons are focused on coordinating all the responsibilities necessary to keep the team healthy. These roles are the most important ones on the team. Often these people have unique opportunities to be ambassadors between the team and those the team serves.

Are you a counselor or a pastor? It is crucial that crisis counseling occur as soon as possible post-disaster. We provide group and one-on-one counseling for men and women. We provide onsite seminars in practical crisis counseling for pastors, elders, and deacons of affected areas and provide the counseling tools for them to minister to their communities.

There is no application cost

No, you are not considered an MTW employee. You are an MTW volunteer.

After becoming part of the team, you will be contacted after a disaster occurs to see what your availability is. Teams are then put together depending on need following the particular disaster. Every team make up is different. Just because you are available, does not necessarily mean you will be on a team right away.

All of our volunteers have a support account and raise their own support for responding with the team

Many volunteers raise money beforehand so they are ready to go at a moments notice.

The insurance MTW has is supplemental emergency evacuation insurance so you must have your own insurance. There are more details in the application you fill out.

There is no minimum or maximum. We usually only respond to four disasters in a year.

Teams are usually made up of different specialties but we do often have teams that focus on one aspect.

That really depends on where we are going and how we get there. For areas that are close by the airfare is far more affordable. The majority of your cost is based on airfare as you bring in your lodging and food.

We teach on over 40 subjects over the course of the training, some purely theological, some purely practical. 

No, but it is intense. If you can dig a ditch, pull a rope, walk a couple miles, sit still in class, open a can of beans, all in one day, you can do this

Often yes. The training simulates a real disaster. You need to be mobile and able to work. Crutches or canes can work. Wheelchairs and walkers do not, as you need to be able to hike in serious woods. You need to be able to help with basic living tasks (cooking, camping). Any medicines need to viable/stable at room temperature. Any medical equipment has to be un-powered or self-powered. You need to be honest with yourself and the staff about your capabilities and needs.

Actually, yes. We have had several women take the training in early to middle stages of their pregnancy. You still have to sleep in a tent in the field and participate as much as possible. Please contact us to discuss your situation. Note: If you are pregnant, you will not be able to participate on a disaster response trip.