Kisha James
KJames@PointsofLight.org

Volunteers Give Six Million Hours to Hurricane Relief in Florida

Largest Recorded Volunteer Mobilization Effort Valued at $100 Million

WASHINGTON, DC (May 25, 2005) — More than 140,000 volunteers gave nearly six million hours of their time responding to the hurricanes that devastated Florida in 2004, according to “Extraordinary Need, Extraordinary Response: Volunteer Centers Respond to the 2004 Hurricanes,” a recently released report from the Points of Light Foundation. This volunteer effort in Florida, which is valued at more than $100 million, was the largest recorded volunteer mobilization in U.S. history.

The report details how Florida Volunteer Centers capitalized upon years of emergency preparation and planning to effectively and rapidly respond to the urgent needs of Florida residents. Using lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida Governor Jeb Bush's Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service established a comprehensive emergency management plan, which places Volunteer Centers at the center of a network of agencies and organizations aligned to help citizens in times of disaster.

Florida's Volunteer Centers managed the unprecedented response over the four hurricanes of 2004 in effective, researched, and coordinated practices and demonstrated the benefits of integrating Volunteer Centers nationwide into existing disaster response systems. According to Robert K. Goodwin, President and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, “The state of Florida, through Volunteer Florida, had planned for disaster response. The complexity and completeness of these plans, their integration into the disaster response system, and their use of Volunteer Centers for managing unaffiliated volunteers are things other states can and should replicate.”

A proclamation issued May 10, 2005 by President George W. Bush for National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2005, urges all citizens to become aware of the dangers of hurricanes and calls upon governments, organizations, schools, the media and private citizens to share information about hurricane preparedness and response.

In times of disaster, Volunteer Centers across the United States work with community partners in affected areas to mobilize resources and volunteers in emergency response efforts. Volunteer Centers build the capacity of local organizations by providing training for community emergency response and disaster preparedness courses for businesses.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network is a knowledge leader in the area of disaster management. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has been involved in supporting Volunteer Centers and communities throughout the nation in disaster relief efforts. The more than 330 Volunteer Centers comprise the largest national infrastructure dedicated to volunteering and volunteer efforts, connecting two million people with more than a million volunteer opportunities annually.

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The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network connects local, state and federal governments, faith communities, nonprofit and charitable organizations, local and national businesses, schools, civic associations, and fraternal groups to support and increase the millions of volunteers in local communities who are helping to solve our most serious social problems. The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network connects unaffiliated volunteers with needs brought about by disasters in the phases of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. For information about the Foundation, visit www.PointsofLight.org or call 202-729-8000.