SKILLS CITY, USA: Resilience Responders, “The Helping Hands, Heads & Hearts of Heaven.” Isaiah 58:10–11



SKILLS CITY, USA: Resilience Responders, “The Helping Hands, Heads & Hearts of Heaven.” Isaiah 58:10–11


“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” Dr. Martin L. King, Jr., 



A Collaborative Proposal for Building Community-Based Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Capacity within the Inner City


Proposed by Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

Graduate of the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas




Executive Summary


Disasters expose the vulnerabilities of our communities, and nowhere is this more evident than in America’s underserved inner cities. From pandemics to extreme weather, marginalized neighborhoods often bear the heaviest burdens—lacking both resources and trusted systems of protection.


Skills City, USA: Resilience Responders—Helping Hands, Heads & Hearts of Heaven is an innovative model designed to reverse this cycle. Grounded in the biblical call of Isaiah 58:10–11 and inspired by decades of community service, this initiative equips residents with training, certifications, and paid internships in emergency preparedness and disaster response.


By leveraging partnerships between faith-based leadership, higher education, workforce systems, and civic agencies, Resilience Responders transforms vulnerable neighborhoods into self-sustaining hubs of resilience—where skilled local leaders stand ready to serve their communities in times of crisis.




The Challenge


Communities such as Fort Worth’s 76104 zip code face compounded vulnerabilities during crises:

• Disparities in Preparedness: Limited access to formal training and certifications in emergency management.

• Fragile Populations: Seniors, children, and low-income households are disproportionately at risk.

• Delayed Response: Underinvestment in infrastructure slows recovery in urban neighborhoods.

• Economic Fragility: Disasters deepen cycles of unemployment and poverty.


COVID-19 made these inequities clear. Yet, it also demonstrated the critical power of faith-rooted, community-led response networks that mobilized food distribution, testing, and trusted communication.


The lesson: true resilience must be grown from within.




The Vision


The Resilience Responders initiative builds a diverse, faith-driven, and academically supported pipeline of community leaders who are:

• Prepared & Certified to respond to emergencies with skill and compassion.

• Trusted & Present in neighborhoods where outside responders often struggle to gain access.

• Anchored in Faith to provide spiritual care alongside practical support.

• Positioned for the Future through education, career pathways, and leadership development.


This program embodies Isaiah’s promise:


“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.”




Program Model


1. Training & Certification


Participants gain certifications through partnerships with UNT EMDS faculty, Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County, and professional emergency organizations. Training covers:

• FEMA and American Red Cross programs

• CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) basics

• CPR, AED, First Aid, Stop the Bleed

• Crisis communication and trauma-informed care

• Shelter operations & logistics in disaster response

• Digital tools for emergency coordination


2. Paid Internships & Practical Experience


Participants gain paid, real-world experience by working in:

• Community-based preparedness exercises & resilience hubs

• Food, water, and medical supply chain distribution

• Extreme weather readiness programs

• Public health outreach and recovery efforts


3. Workforce & Academic Pathways


Resilience Responders provides a bridge to long-term opportunities:

• Direct entry into UNT’s Emergency Management & Disaster Science program

• Career opportunities in municipal, county, state, and nonprofit agencies

• Professional development as resilience coordinators and consultants


4. Faith, Healing, & Hope


Distinct from purely technical programs, this model integrates:

• Chaplaincy training for community responders

• Healing Circles of Compassion for trauma recovery

• Faith-community partnerships for sustained resilience




Impact Goals


Within three years, Skills City, USA: Resilience Responders will:

• Train and certify 250 inner-city residents as Resilience Responders.

• Establish 5 neighborhood-based resilience hubs in Fort Worth.

• Increase local preparedness capacity by 40% in targeted zip codes.

• Connect graduates to higher education and career-track positions in disaster management.




Strategic Partnerships

• New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church – Lead convening organization.

• Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas – Policy, advocacy, and faith-based mobilization.

• Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County – Paid internships and workforce alignment.

• University of North Texas (EMDS Department) – Academic curriculum and research.

• Dr. Laura Siebeneck, Chair of EMDS

• Dr. Elyse Zavar, Program Director

• City of Fort Worth Emergency Management Office – Integration with city response systems.

• Scotie Selman, Senior Director of Emergency Management & Safety Services – Professional mentorship.

• American Red Cross / FEMA Region VI – Certification pathways.




Founder’s Biography: Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.


Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is a graduate of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, with a degree from the School of Community Service. For over three decades, he has been a tireless advocate, minister, and community strategist committed to bridging faith, education, and civic action to uplift historically marginalized communities.

• Faith & Leadership: Pastor Tatum serves as Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where he has led transformative ministries blending spiritual care with social impact.

• Community Resilience: As founder and executive director of Skills City, USA, Pastor Tatum has pioneered workforce development and resilience training programs tailored to inner-city residents, including Resilience Responders.

• Buffalo Soldiers & Heritage: He has developed faith-based historical restoration projects, including The Prayer Room Chaplain Quarters and national tributes to the Buffalo Soldiers, Harlem Hellfighters, and the 6888th Battalion, ensuring Black military legacies are preserved and promoted.

• Advocacy & Justice: Through the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, Pastor Tatum has worked on criminal justice reform, voter empowerment, literacy, and equitable access to education and workforce pathways.

• Educator & Innovator: He has authored works like Kyevism and Hallelujah for the Hell Fighters, offering a philosophy of faith-fueled resilience for urban America.


Pastor Tatum’s life work embodies the mission of Resilience Responders: to serve, protect, and empower the most vulnerable while building systems of hope and strength for generations to come.




Funding Model


The initiative will be sustained through a blend of:

• Government contracts in workforce and emergency management

• Philanthropic and faith-based grants supporting equity and resilience

• Earned revenue from training, consulting, and certification services



Conclusion


Skills City, USA: Resilience Responders represents a new model of emergency preparedness—one that blends hands-on training, academic rigor, workforce pathways, and faith-fueled service. By investing in the people closest to crisis, this initiative will create a network of hope and strength that can withstand any storm.


“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” – Isaiah 58:11




Proposed by Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

Founder & Executive Director, Skills City, USA

Graduate, University of North Texas – School of Community Service

2864 Mississippi Avenue 

Fort Worth, Texas 76104

817-966-7625, kptatum1@gmail.com, www.newmountrose.com


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