ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) — Catholic Charities of Acadiana hosted a free Disaster Response Training at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Pere Megret Center in Abbeville earlier today.

The training aimed to equip volunteers with essential skills for responding to disasters in South Louisiana, a region frequently affected by severe storms. Participants learned how to enter storm-damaged homes, document destruction, and support families in crisis.

“We’ve seen the intensity, the volume of these disasters for our area and our neighbors. It really is incumbent on us to be prepared, to be trained, and to know how to respond—especially for those who suffer at a disproportionate level,” said Ben Broussard, Chief of External Affairs for Catholic Charities of Acadiana.

The training included hands-on exercises such as gutting flooded houses and safely using chainsaws to clear storm debris. These practical sessions are designed to ensure volunteers can effectively assist in disaster recovery efforts.

“Today, we’re working on how to do a proper disaster assessment, how to greet that homeowner in one of their darkest moments, and create a plan for how the community can respond,” Broussard explained.

Catholic Charities serves as the official disaster response agency for the Diocese of Lafayette, which covers eight parishes. The organization relies on community volunteers to carry out its mission.

Broussard called the training a chance to put faith into action.

“This half day training is an opportunity for our community to be ready to meet the moment when disaster strikes with compassion, clarity, and real capability,” Broussard said.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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