Lee's DHMM students are working with Operation Blessing Hurricane Relief

Group photo of the students in Valdosta

Lee students volunteer during their fall break with Operation Blessing’s hurricane relief efforts

Students from Lee’s Disaster and Healthcare Mission Management program and the Emergency Response Club traveled to Valdosta, Georgia, to collaborate with Operation Blessing in disaster response after Hurricane Helene.

This trip was led by Jake Fast, director of the DHMM program and assistant professor of science in emergency management, and Matthew Adams, lecturer in nursing.

“I am so incredibly proud of these students who used their fall break to do strenuous and exhausting work for others,” said Mr. Fast. “They truly represented the love of Christ through their efforts and were able to show compassion and kindness when it was needed most.”

Four senior DHMM majors, accompanied by Mr. Fast, traveled to Valdosta and began working with Operation Blessing on Monday, October 7, and four underclassmen associated with the DHMM Emergency Response Club, accompanied by Mr. Adams, joined them on Thursday October 7. 10. Both groups worked on Operation Blessing until Saturday, October 12.

Student volunteers included Connor Brown, Aubrey Case, Emma Folsom, Ella Joyce, Grace LeMoine, Sarah Livingston, Logan Oaks and Emmalee Rau. They spent the week helping clear debris and chainsawing fallen trees that had caused damage to almost every property where they worked.

Anchor Faith Church Valdosta hosted the group during their weeklong stay in Valdosta.

“It was an absolute privilege to serve in Valdosta on the Hurricane Helene response,” said Sarah Livingston, president of the DHMM Club and trip participant. “The opportunity to practice what we study with such an amazing team, including Operation Blessing and the Anchor Faith Church staff, made this trip extra special and dear to my heart. I really appreciate this experience and everything I learned from it, including how to use a chainsaw!”

The group’s connection to Operation Blessing came through Michaela Morris Pope, a Lee alum who graduated from the DHMM program in December 2021 and is now the disaster coordinator for Operation Blessing.

“After Hurricane Helene, Operation Blessing and its volunteers launched, providing support through hot meals, debris removal, tarpaulin application and chainsaw services,” said Ms. Pope. “As a former DHMM student, it was a great honor to work with the students in Lee’s DHMM program. My time in the program has prepared me not only to work with confidence in our emergency operations center, but also on the ground in the midst of the chaos of disaster response.”

Operation Blessing is a humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to demonstrating God’s love through the relief of human suffering. For forty years, Operation Blessing has provided hunger relief, medical care, clean water and disaster relief to millions of people around the world through compassionate, efficient and locally focused programs.

Lee University’s DHMM program prepares students to become leaders in disaster preparedness and response and healthcare missions. During the program, students receive numerous certifications and skills-based training, as well as experiential opportunities in a variety of settings.

For more information about Operation Blessing, visit https://www.ob.org/.

For more information about the DHMM program or the club, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/nursing/dhmm/.