Hurricane Season Has Begun What exactly is a hurricane? According to the online weather glossary it is “ A severe tropical cyclone with wind speeds in excess of 74 mph (64 knots). ” This definition led me to wonder, what is the definition of a cyclone? From the same source, it is “ An area of low pressure around which winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Also the term used for a hurricane in the Indian Ocean and in the Western Pacific Ocean.” The official start date of Hurricane season is June 1 st , so we are now in the midst of the beginning of another season. For those living in high-risk areas, this date has a lot of more significance than for those living in Northern areas. Yet, one factor all areas have in common is the uncertainty of what lies ahead and who will be affected. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce which focuses on conditions in the ocean and atmosphere. NOAA predicts that the 2006 Hurricane Season will be an above average season with 13 to 16 named storms, 8 to 10 of those becoming hurricanes, and 4 to 6 becoming major hurricanes. As an interesting side note, the names for these future hurricanes can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Atlantic_hurricane_season#2006_storm_names NOAA's strategic vision is "an informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions." This strategic vision is significant to the work of Disaster Relief VISTAs in that their work prepares communities to make better economic and social decisions regarding disaster preparedness. Here are some tips for basic Hurricane Preparedness initiatives:
Resources: Trivia Question: What is the most common disaster in the United States? Alliance for Recovery Continues In February, the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network announced the granting of 33 Alliance for Recovery Awards to member Volunteer Centers. These awards are designed to encourage mobilization of faith groups and creation of such partnerships around recovery from and capacity building for disasters. Currently halfway through the six-month grant period, the Foundation has seen significant work done through Centers to serve evacuees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as preparing their respective communities for what disaster that may come next. Faith-based organizations are important partners in disaster-related work as they can serve as food pantries, shelters, volunteer reception centers and donations management locations, and their participants can be trained to participate in relief and recovery, as well as volunteer management. Forming strong partnerships before a disaster strikes is the key to a coordinated relief and recovery effort for effective response. Faith-based partners are being engaged in a variety of ways by individual Volunteer Centers, based on the needs of their communities. Long-term recovery grantees are offering hope and encouragement to the evacuees in their area by providing necessary services to help displaced people regain normalcy. Metro Volunteers in Denver, CO is offering a volunteer management-training course to 134 Colorado Coalition of Faith congregations. Volunteer! Baton Rouge engaged the Islamic Center of Louisiana State University to do landscape and garden repairs for homes of evacuee families. Partnering with Faith Action and Lutheran Social Services, the Volunteer Center of Greensboro, NC is working to create unity and celebrate diversity in their community by administering a furniture ministry and create Care Teams to address a variety of evacuee needs, including mental health related issues. The Volunteer Centers focused on capacity-building efforts are working to train and engage organizations to be able to make a cohesive response to any disaster that may strike. At VolunteerLEON, interfaith youth were gathered to create disaster supply kits to distribute to elderly residents in rural Tallahassee, FL. In Bradenton, FL. the Volunteer Center of Manatee County is partnering with Florida Faith Ministries and also expanding on their strong youth service program and engaging those youth to reach out to their peers from faith-based organizations to bring them on board for their community projects. Across the country in Vancouver, WA the Human Services Volunteer Council has developed a working relationship with the Greater Vancouver Interfaith Association to facilitate 12 workshops on disaster preparedness. Nearly all grantees have expressed gaining faith-based partners through their local VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) and Citizen Corps chapters, which were either already established, or are in some cases being created for the first time as a result of this initiative. Faith-based partners are and should continue to be important players in the volunteer service movement across the country. The often-felt sentiment varies in wording, but is consistently the same: Faith groups not only provide service, they provide hope. Service in the Sunshine Now that we're firmly in the month of June, more than the weather is changing in our communities. Kids everywhere are at the edges of their plastic desk chairs waiting for the final bell on the last day of school — the beginning of warm-weather freedom. Summer vacation means more than just sleeping in and lounging by the pool; it marks the only time all year when kids (and their parents) aren't bound to the rigid schedules of school. That makes it the perfect opportunity to get families engaged in volunteering together. You don't have to plan your events for nights and weekends, and you don't have to worry as much about inclement weather. And for those of you who aren't serving in tropical climates, summer's one of the only times when your events can be held completely outdoors. Here are a few ideas that especially lend themselves to hot summer days. They're all fun, active, and they can all be done in the sunshine; they might be the perfect event to bring new families to your Volunteer Center. • Hold a picnic potluck. Ask people to bring a covered dish to share and a canned good to donate to a local food bank. The only costs for you are beverages, paper plates, cups, and silverware (and maybe some red checked tablecloths if you're feeling fancy). You'll give community members a chance to meet new local friends, and you'll be able to pass around information about your Volunteer Center. Offer everyone a chance to give you their contact information and you'll have a whole new group of people to work with. • Some finger-paint and butcher paper is enough to bring families together for a good cause. Contact your local children's hospital or senior citizens' home and ask if they'd like some artwork to brighten rooms and hallways. If so, plan an event where kids and parents can make finger-painting masterpieces, and then deliver the art to your chosen location. This is a great way to show kids (and their parents, too) that volunteering can be fun. • Organize a citywide lawn sale. Tell the community to bring all the “stuff” from their house they don't want or need anymore, and then price it and sell. People always have things they want to get rid of, but they rarely have the time or energy for a garage sale — you can save them the effort and make sure all the proceeds go to a good cause. No matter how great the promise of sleeping in and watching cartoons may sound, it does eventually get old, and the lure of outdoor activities are too much to resist. This summer, show families in your community that they can paint pictures, get rid of junk, or have a picnic, all while having fun in the sunshine — and it's really volunteering! Update on 2005 Tax Season With the tax-filing season behind them, the VISTAs engaged in the Earned Income tax Credit Initiative are celebrating yet another successful tax season. Millions of dollars went to hard working families across the country because of the work of these VISTA members. VISTAs are a vital part of the EITC Initiative; they increase the capacity of their local organizations to provide quality volunteer opportunities around EITC work. These volunteers contribute countless hours to their programs. Every tax season, with the help of volunteers recruited by the VISTAs, hundreds of people contribute their time and expertise at one or more of the VITA sites. This year alone the VISTAs were able to recruit hundreds of volunteers to provide thousands of hours of service which directly enabled clients to receive millions in federal and state refunds. Because of these EITC volunteer programs, low-income clients are able to properly file complex tax returns and are able to have unique service provide to them free of charge. VISTAs and volunteers are playing a crucial role in empowering low-income families to achieve a more secure economic future. Tax dollars brought back into local communities from VITA sites run by AmeriCorps VISTA members:
On December 12, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson welcomed the first group of 20 VISTA volunteers with this advice: “Your pay will be low; the conditions of your labor often will be difficult. But you will have the satisfaction of leading a great national effort and you will have the ultimate reward which comes to those who serve their fellow man.” Well folks, this is my last entry for the Strengthening Communities VISTA Newsletter. A special farewell and sayonara to the handful of my fellow second year VISTAs who started back at the original PSO just for our first class of POLF Strengthening Communities VISTA in June 2004- Tasha Kay, Rhona, Sandra, and Shari. These two years have been better and more personally beneficial than I would have predicted when it all got started in Kansas City. For this last article, I wanted to share some highlights from a recent event I attended here in DC where people gathered to celebrate and reflect on VISTA's 40 year long legacy of service. It was especially powerful to see how many people have loved the VISTA program and who fought for the ideals of the program 40 years ago and continue to advocate nationally for the work that we do. On Tuesday, May 23, people gathered at a lively reception to honor Sargent Shriver, the creating genius behind Americorps VISTA, and his wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver. On Wednesday, May 24, many national leaders, VISTA Alumni, and founding contributors gathered in a forum to hear thoughts from present VISTA members, reflect on the history of VISTA through the decades, and discuss the present role of the VISTA program in fighting poverty in America today. A new book and photo exhibit were also released in conjunction with this two-day event. Go to this website to read more about a new book about VISTA that was released at the event and to see photos that document the role of the VISTA program in the war on poverty over the last 40 years. http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista_legacy.asp . Many of these photos are quite powerful and do a wonderful job of telling the VISTA story I am honored to have served with so many outstanding Americans, including the VISTAs in our specific program. If I Could Meet Anyone, I Would Meet… Roy Bates: Frederick, MDPresident Jefferson, of course. He was a member of “my” minority group (tall redheads) and produced such thoughts as "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against “every” form of tyranny over the mind of man." [emphasis mine] John Dickerson: Gainesville, FL Sean Duggan: San Diego, CA Nathan Hansen: Bradenton, FL The person I would like to meet is myself, but with a bit of Emily Dickinson, Ernest Hemingway, Tori Amos, Angelina Jolie, Cleopatra and Mother Theresa sprinkled on top! andra Stone: Macon, GA Abbey Kos Neecee Blackwell: Shreveport, LA Diane Dawes: Hyattsville, MD Cathy Guenthardt: Muskegon, MI Athena McKay Amy Rogers: Ionia, MI Trivia Question: What is the most common disaster in the United States? |
