International Disaster Emergency Service

International Disaster Emergency Service, commonly known as IDES, is a U.S.-based Christian humanitarian organization headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it works to address both the practical and spiritual needs of people affected by poverty, hunger, natural disasters, and other emergencies. Its stated mission is carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, and its funding base is closely associated with independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. IDES generally operates through partners that are already present in affected communities. These partners include local churches, missionaries, mission organizations, and other Christian networks. This model allows the organization to provide relief through established relationships rather than creating a separate field structure for every emergency. The organization has reported providing assistance in more than 131 countries. The organization traces its origins to the response of Milton and Janet Bates to a major typhoon in Bangladesh. Disturbed by reports of the destruction and poverty they saw, the couple sought a way to coordinate the relief capacity of churches connected with their religious tradition. Milton Bates reportedly contacted Christian leaders through more than 500 letters. Nine leaders responded with support for an organized relief effort, and Bates agreed to lead it. The group first met at the North American Christian Convention in 1973, where IDES was formed. IDES describes its work through five principal areas: development and sustainability, disaster response, evangelism, hunger relief, and medical care. Development projects are intended to provide communities with sustainable sources of food or income rather than only short-term assistance. Disaster response includes immediate relief as well as longer-term recovery. Hunger programs address food insecurity and malnutrition, while medical assistance can include medicines, supplies, emergency treatment, and resources for temporary clinics operated by missionary or mission partners. Evangelism is integrated into the organization's Christian relief model and is conducted through its network of partners. In addition to grants and material aid, IDES offers programs designed to involve congregations, families, schools, youth groups, and other volunteers. Disaster Assistance Response Teams, or DART, prepare and deploy regional volunteer groups for cleanup, temporary repairs, emergency-supply distribution, and reconstruction support in the United States. The God Always ProvIDES Food-Packing Program, commonly called GAP, organizes volunteers to assemble shelf-stable meals for distribution through international Christian partners. The organization has also supported shed-building projects that produce storage structures for households whose homes have been damaged by disasters. Other fundraising and participation programs include Harvest of Talents for World Hunger and SonFish Banks. Harvest of Talents encourages churches and individuals to donate handmade goods, services, food, artwork, and other contributions for sale or fundraising. SonFish Banks are small blue collection banks used to gather spare change for hunger-relief projects and to teach children about charitable giving and missions. These initiatives reflect IDES's emphasis on congregational participation and recurring support rather than relying only on institutional grants. After Milton Bates died in 2007, his son-in-law Rick Jett became executive director. IDES has subsequently operated with a small full-time staff from its Indiana headquarters while continuing to rely heavily on churches, missionaries, volunteers, and donors. Its present identity is therefore that of a faith-based relief organization combining emergency response, development, food assistance, medical support, volunteer mobilization, and Christian mission activity.

International Disaster Emergency Service emerged from a church-led response to a humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. Milton and Janet Bates were moved by news of a severe typhoon that had struck an already impoverished country. Milton, a Navy veteran and General Motors technician, believed that independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ could coordinate a more substantial relief effort if their leaders were connected through a dedicated organization. The couple contacted Christian leaders from their home, sending more than 500 letters seeking support and guidance. Nine leaders answered and agreed to support Bates if he would take responsibility for leading the effort. Bates and the participating leaders met several months later at the North American Christian Convention in 1973. That meeting marked the creation of International Disaster Emergency Service. From its beginning, the organization combined practical relief with a Christian missionary purpose, using relationships with missionaries and local churches to reach people in affected communities. Rather than building a large permanent international field organization, IDES developed a partner-based operating model. Financial assistance, supplies, and program support could be sent through missionaries, churches, and mission organizations already working in the countries where assistance was needed. This arrangement enabled the organization to respond to disasters while also supporting longer-term feeding, health, livelihood, and community-development projects. IDES has stated that it has assisted people in more than 131 countries. The organization's work developed around five broad areas. Development and sustainability projects seek to help communities obtain durable sources of food or income. Disaster response addresses both immediate needs and recovery after natural or human-caused emergencies. Hunger-relief programs provide food and support feeding initiatives for people facing malnutrition. Medical work includes medicines, medical supplies, emergency treatment, and support for temporary clinics. Evangelism remains part of the organization's stated purpose, with relief delivered through Christian partners and accompanied, where appropriate, by opportunities to communicate the Christian message. IDES also built programs that allow churches and community groups to participate directly. Its Disaster Assistance Response Teams program organizes and trains regional volunteers for U.S. disaster work. Teams may help with cleanup, temporary roof and building repairs, emergency-supply distribution, and reconstruction. The GAP food-packing program provides an assembly-line volunteer activity through which groups prepare fortified meals for shipment to international Christian partners. The organization has also organized volunteer shed construction, with completed structures sent to church partners in U.S. disaster zones for families whose homes have been damaged. Fundraising initiatives broadened the organization's base of participation. Harvest of Talents for World Hunger began in 1983 after Pat Snyder of Lincoln Christian Church in Illinois challenged her family and congregation to use their skills to raise money for people facing hunger. The concept expanded to recurring autumn events at churches in multiple locations. SonFish Banks, also associated with a hunger-relief initiative begun in 1983, uses small plastic fish-shaped banks to collect spare change and engage children and families in charitable giving. Milton Bates remained associated with IDES until his death in 2007. His son-in-law, Rick Jett, then became executive director. The organization has continued to operate from Noblesville with a small professional staff and a much larger network of church, missionary, donor, and volunteer participants. Its historical development therefore reflects a stable model: Christian congregational support is converted into disaster relief, food and medical assistance, sustainable-development projects, and volunteer-led recovery through local partners.

• 2007

  Leadership passes to Rick Jett

  [1]International Disaster Emergency Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  After founder Milton Bates died, his son-in-law Rick Jett became executive director.

• 1983

  Harvest of Talents begins

  [1]International Disaster Emergency Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  Pat Snyder initiated a church-based fundraising effort in Illinois that encouraged people to use their skills and donated goods to raise money for worldwide hunger relief through IDES.

• 1983

  SonFish Banks are introduced

  [1]International Disaster Emergency Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  Jim and Virginia Willoughby created the SonFish Banks concept to raise spare-change donations and awareness for hunger-relief work.

• 1973

  IDES is created

  [1]International Disaster Emergency Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  Milton Bates and nine supporting Christian leaders met at the North American Christian Convention and established International Disaster Emergency Service after organizing a response to suffering in Bangladesh.

Faith-based humanitarian relief delivered through Christian Churches, Churches of Christ, missionaries, and local community partners. IDES emphasizes a combination of immediate disaster assistance, long-term development, hunger relief, medical care, volunteer participation, and evangelism.

• Humanitarian emergency response

  Disaster Response

  IDES supports immediate and longer-term assistance after natural and human-caused disasters. Work may include emergency supplies, cleanup, temporary repairs, reconstruction assistance, and grants delivered through local churches, missionaries, and other established partners.

• Hunger relief

  GAP Food-Packing Program

  The God Always ProvIDES Food-Packing Program enables churches, schools, families, youth groups, and other volunteers to assemble fortified, shelf-stable meal packages. The completed meals are sent to Christian mission partners for distribution to hungry communities and church families.

• Volunteer disaster recovery

  Disaster Assistance Response Teams

  DART is a regional volunteer program for disaster preparedness and response in the United States. Teams can train and maintain preparedness plans, distribute emergency supplies, clean damaged properties, make temporary repairs, and assist with damaged structures.

• Fundraising program · 1983

  Harvest of Talents for World Hunger

  Harvest of Talents invites churches and individuals to turn creative work, donated goods, food, services, and practical skills into fundraising events for international feeding programs. Events have expanded beyond the original Illinois congregation to participating churches in multiple locations.

• Donation and education program · 1983

  SonFish Banks

  SonFish Banks are small fish-shaped collection banks used by families, churches, and children to collect coins for hunger relief. The program combines recurring small donations with education about missions, charitable giving, and food insecurity.

• Disaster recovery volunteering

  Shed-Building Program

  Volunteer groups assemble storage sheds from prefabricated components. The sheds are sent to church partners in U.S. disaster areas and installed for households whose homes have been damaged, giving families a place to protect salvageable belongings during recovery.

• Humanitarian medical assistance

  Medical Care

  IDES supplies medicines, medical materials, emergency treatment assistance, and resources for temporary clinics operated by missionaries or mission organizations when local access or financial resources are limited.

• 1983Harvest of Talents for World Hunger

  United States

  A church-centered fundraising campaign that converts donated talents, goods, food, artwork, and services into support for feeding programs around the world.

  Outcome. The campaign expanded to multiple churches and became a recurring autumn fundraising activity for IDES hunger-relief work.

  Source
• 1983SonFish Banks

  United States

  A spare-change collection and educational initiative using blue fish-shaped banks to involve children, families, and congregations in hunger relief.

  Outcome. The program continued as a recurring small-donation channel for international hunger-relief projects.

  Source

1. 1International Disaster Emergency Serviceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2International Disaster Emergency Service official websiteides.org