| When We Embrace Different,
Innovation Happens
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Greetings Colleagues in Disaster Response and Recovery,
I am consistently amazed by the stories of how your organizations are responding to COVID-19, and all the natural hazard disasters across the U.S. and U.S. Territories!
You inspire the best in people and bring hope and healing to those affected by disaster. As we lean into our upcoming Fall Member's Meeting and workshops, I am reminded of our NVOAD Strategic Plan - Leadership Development, Strengthening our Collective Identity/Relationships, Technology and Data supporting our 4Cs, and Financial Sustainability. We have been making great strides towards some of these goals, and find that they mirror what our society and industry is aiming towards.
Currently, I reside in a part of New York City called Roosevelt Island.? Almost daily, I take a walk around the island, and when timed correctly am able to visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park. FDR penned these words in early 1941:?"In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way - everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want.everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear...anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation."
In my mind, I correlate them with the 4 Cs of National VOAD - Cooperation, Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration - something to strive for every day knowing that some days.we get it right. [Read More...]
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Powerful Story on the Healing Power of BBQ from an Operation BBQ Relief Volunteer
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My name is?John. I live in?Iowa?City, IA, about 15 miles south of Cedar Rapids.? As you of course know, Operation BBQ Relief has been operating in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids has been decimated.
I decided to write to you because I had such a meaningful experience with your organization earlier this week, and I wanted to share my story with someone at the organization.
We saw an announcement somewhere--I think Facebook-that indicated people were needed to deliver food from a staging area to food distribution points, so my wife Deb and I signed up to take a shift. ?
We left for our shift about 2:30 that afternoon.? We arrived at and were directed to a large roped -off area in the parking lot.? I remember thinking normally this area would be packed with cars-but due to the pandemic there was a lot of open space.? When we entered the area we got into a line with about 10 other cars.? When we drove in I noticed your large tractor trailer, several tents, about 15-20 people working on various tasks.? The people working were wonderful. There was a crew who were loading cars.? Once everything was ready we pulled up and they loaded our car with barbecue, beans, plastic cutlery, individual serving containers, etc and told us where to deliver it.? The car was packed.? We had a lot of food. Prior to driving into that parking lot I had never heard of your organization. [Read More...]
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Presbyerian Disaster Assistance: This Church Took Out the Pews to Help Feed L.A.'s Hungry
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As June turned to July,?Immanuel Presbyterian Church?in Los Angeles needed a place to store food.
Its direct food service to people in need had skyrocketed from 120 households a week before the COVID-19 pandemic to more than 2,000 a week as the virus staged a resurgence in California that has resulted in it being?the state with the most coronavirus infections in the country. Immanuel, in L.A.'s Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown area, was running out of space to keep food - at one point jerry-rigging cooling ducts in a hallway to create improvised, temporary cold storage. Then church leaders cast their eyes on its Westminster Chapel.
Immanuel's Session expressed openness to making it a storage space before, and the morning of July 3 it approved removing the pews.
"By 4 o'clock that afternoon, half the pews were gone," transitional co-pastor the Rev. Andrew Schweibert said. "It was like, 'Boom! Move it.' By Monday, they were all gone." [Read More...]
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Heart to Heart International Responds to Wildfires in Western U.S.
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Reaching Out to Elderly
Hurricane Laura Victims
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Today Operation Blessing moved into one of the hardest hit areas in Lake Charles-the downtown area-in our quest to serve Hurricane Laura victims.
Something as simple as driving down the street has become very difficult. Hurricane Laura's wrath is evident everywhere. Attempting to navigate the maze of downed power lines, mangled in the street, makes it almost impossible to reach your destination. Often you have to drive underneath frayed lines dangling ominously overhead, barely missing them.
If the power lines aren't bad enough, there's the shattered trees to deal with. Huge trees with massive trunks block the roadways making them impassable. But we were determined to get to our destination. We had a job to do. [Read More...]
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North Carolina
Ann Huffman, Chair
Virginia
Allyson Kuriger, President
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Learn all about the Caring for Each Other initiative, a new suite of resources to help the whole family find comfort, connect with one another, and remember to take care of themselves too.
Watch the Webinar Here
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| Click here to see all the videos from the series
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Americares -?Americares Commits $2.5 Million in Wildfire Assistance
Convoy of Hope - Convoy of Hope Responds to West Coast Fires
Healthcare Ready - Rx Open Map
Heart to Heart International - Relief Sent for Hurricane Sally
Humane Society - Make a Disaster Plan for Your Pet
The Salvation Army -?Salvation Army Officers Ready as Disaster Response Teams Prepare for Hurricane Laura Response
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Team Rubicon National Preparedness Month Video
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If you live in a coastal state, it's crucial to?stay ahead of the hurricane season. Usually,?this plan includes: gathering necessary supplies, finding the nearest emergency shelter, preparing your home, keeping an eye on storm warnings, etc. It's a way to stay ahead of the game so that when disaster strikes you can jump into action as quickly as possible.?
Most residents of hurricane-prone states like Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico know this drill all too well. It's almost considered "normal." However,?the COVID-19 crisis has changed the definition of "normal" across the board. This includes hurricane preparedness.?
Here are 7 ways to adjust your hurricane preparedness strategies in the face of a pandemic. [Read More...]
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During this unpreceded time in our country, our federal partner AmeriCorps made the decision to allow national service members to break from their traditional service duties and support Covid-19 response efforts in their communities. Through CCUSA's five AmeriCorps programs, 28 AmeriCorps members provided almost 5,000 hours of Covid-19 response efforts, serving over 25,000 individuals since March. Their services corresponded to the needs of their local agencies and communities, with AmeriCorps members performing 992 wellness and safety checks, serving 4,639 meals, and collecting and distributing 149,372 pounds of food. Members also sorted 110 tons of donations, which included food and sanitary items as well as critically needed personal protective equipment, and they recruited 673 volunteers to assist in providing key services. [Read More...]
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