Gov. Jay Nixon will visit Cape Girardeau on Thursday as part of a series of workshops designed to educate and prepare faith-based organizations for disaster response.

A state initiative to strengthen response by local agencies and churches or other faith-based organizations is a mission of the governor's Faith-Based and Community Service Partnership for Disaster Recovery, which began under order of Gov. Mel Carnahan following massive flooding in 1993 and is prompting the workshops.

More than 300 people with involvement in disaster response have registered for the workshops, according to a release from the governor's office. The first of six workshops will be held in Jefferson City today.

Cape Girardeau's workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday in a multipurpose room inside Saint Francis Medical Center's Fitness Plus.

In addition to Nixon, who will speak on the importance of involvement by organizations and preparedness, the workshop will also feature various speakers on the connection of emergency management agencies to other organizations during disasters, individual and family preparedness, mass care, donations management, maximizing use of volunteers and briefings from the National Weather Service and the Missouri StormAware campaign.

Saint Francis spokeswoman Felecia Blanton said a Joplin, Mo., pastor will also speak about recovery efforts from the May 2011 tornado. The American Red Cross and AmeriCorps representatives will also attend and present information. Events are organized through the State Emergency Management Agency.

In a statement, Nixon called the round of conferences an "invaluable opportunity to step up the coordination of our collaborative efforts."

He also said the workshops will build on a previous round of similar meetings in 2009 and will give a look at responses to many natural disasters in 2011.

Nixon recently called on faith-based organizations to help Missouri communities hit by tornadoes after some counties were denied disaster declarations following a February tornado outbreak.

The event is not open to the public and registration is required of organizations. Registration is available online at www.sema.dps.mo.gov.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

211 Saint Francis Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO