On behalf of those we serve and of our members, the Board offers Mr. Gudaitis our blessing and our profound gratitude for his dedicated service to this city and its communities of faith in response to the devastating impact of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the many other adversities we have faced. With the vision and expertise of Mr. Gudaitis and his staff, NYDIS and its members provided compassionate leadership and innovative recovery programs both for survivors and impacted communities. His visionary leadership placed NYDIS and its programs at the forefront of interfaith disaster partnerships in the United States.
Mr. Gudaitis became the first executive director of NYDIS in 2003. He previously served as Associate Director of Episcopal Charities of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, where he managed all grant-making and training programs. He also chaired the Diocesan Disaster Response Team and directed 9/11 recovery programs throughout the diocese, including, representing the diocese in interagency and inter-religious coordination efforts post 9/11. He emerged as a trusted partner, and was asked to build on that trust in leading the newly formed disaster interfaith federation – NYDIS.
Over the past six years, NYDIS and its members have helped tens of thousands of 9/11 survivors and victims’ families, along with thousands of Katrina evacuees and New Yorkers impacted by other crises that have affected our city. The 9/11 and Katrina Unmet Needs Roundtables awarded almost $8 million in cash assistance grants, in addition to food vouchers and travel vouchers for medical care. NYDIS staff and AmeriCorps VISTA members trained hundreds of 9/11 and Katrina caseworkers and recovery volunteers. NYDIS provided mitigation education and preparedness training to over 20,000 faith leaders and developed some of the most respected faith-based and interfaith disaster resources and training curricula in this city and the nation.
Recently, as recovery funding diminished, and as the economy eroded the philanthropy which NYDIS relied upon, our Board was forced to scale back or close many of our programs. In May the Board decided to revert to a voluntary organization and has been working toward that goal. Long-term, NYDIS plans to continue as a coordinative federation for its members and as an operational partner for government and non-profit partners in times of crisis.
The NYDIS Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Ruth Yoder Wenger will assume the position of Executive Vice-President on August 15, 2009. Ms. Wenger is pastor of a Mennonite congregation in the Bronx, and Moderator of the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches. A long-standing board member of NYDIS representing Mennonite Disaster Service, she formerly served as the co-director of STAR NYC (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) during 9/11 recovery efforts. She was Director of Planning & Training at NYDIS from 2007-2009.
About NYDIS
Founded in 2003, New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) is a 501(c)(3) faith-based federation of faith communities as well as disaster service organizations and philanthropies that work in partnership to provide disaster readiness, response, and recovery services for New York City. Our mission is to inspire, connect and share resources with New York City faith communities serving in disaster to create an urban environment that ensures social justice for all peoples. NYDIS and its members provide secular disaster human services to faith communities and individuals alike, regardless of membership or religious affiliation. In times of crisis, NYDIS convenes its leadership with government agencies and local, state, and national disaster management organizations. These partnerships facilitate the delivery of services, resources, and information to religious communities, under-served victims, and impacted communities.
# # #