Faith-Based Relief Organization, IDES, Expands Its Reach
Writer & Photographer / Ashley Callan
International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) is a non-profit organization that, since 1973, has responded to national and international emergencies through relief, rebuilding and restoration efforts rooted in the name of Jesus Christ. Being a shining light to those experiencing a natural or human disaster, IDES has provided aid and comfort to 130 countries and now, to broaden their relief efforts, has expanded and added a new facility, a Global Impact Center, which will increase its ability to respond to future tragedies and provide a greater relief impact.
Whether it is the U.S. or internationally, IDES is working on the front lines alongside churches, mission partners and international field workers delivering crisis and disaster relief. Through their faith-driven work they are rebuilding communities and bringing compassion and hope through outreach efforts to those affected by the aftermath of human and natural disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, fires, floods, famine and war.
IDES’ Disaster Response Team works alongside volunteers to support churches and community members in disaster assistance relief efforts. This includes removing debris and fallen trees, repairing roofs, preparing and serving meals, and building storage sheds. By partnering with church leaders, together they collaborate with recovery and rebuilding efforts, including building and home repair and restoration.
Currently, the IDES response team and volunteers are helping rebuild homes in Tennessee and North Carolina that were destroyed by Hurricane Helene, providing flood relief in regions of Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas, and aiding churches in relief efforts in London, Kentucky, where in May a tornado devastated many homes in the area.
“IDES’s growth over the past decade has been a blessing, yet it has also presented challenges we need to address,” says Sarah Cassel, IDES’ advancement assistant. “Due to our current facility size, IDES staff and volunteers are maxed out in our ability to prepare materials and equipment for our U.S. response. Similarly, our GAP staging area has overwhelmed our existing space. We simply need more space. An expansion of our facilities will allow us to purchase bulk supplies at a discount, save money and ultimately serve more people in need.”
For years, the Disaster Response and GAP (God Always Provides) food-packing program that sends food assistance to those who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition around the world have shared the warehouse space at the IDES headquarters, and to meet the increasing demand of the services that IDES provides, they had to create more space to operate efficiently. In 2024, 15 shipments of food were distributed to nine different countries, and now with the additional space and resources of the Global Impact Center, GAP can make a larger impact. And already IDES collaborated with the International Conference on Missions (ICOM) in November to send a care package of relief supplies, including jackets, blankets, medicine, toiletries and more to Ukraine.
The Global Impact Center will also feature an additional 14,000 square feet of office space.
“We are hoping to expand the staff in all of our departments in order to triple our current impact,” Cassel adds. “Our goal is to help two million people a year, and currently we are at 700,000. We just had our Global Impact Center Building Dedication to celebrate the finishing of construction. We are still raising funds to start construction for our new office space.”
To learn more about International Disaster Emergency Service visit them online at ides.org. There you can donate to help finance the Global Impact Center to help fund emergency relief, and also learn how you can volunteer and help serve IDES.
