It has been three months since Superstorm Sandy hit the easternseaboard. Last week I had a moving experience on the Rockaway peninsula, and in Brooklyn, seeing firsthand the devastation and how volunteers continue to be part of the solution helping these communities rebuild. As the storm approached, Points of Light dispatched their director of disaster services to FEMA headquarters. When the storm surged it became apparent what areas were the hardest hit. The Red Cross and many other organizations, along with government agencies and businesses, were poised for the relief efforts. Volunteers, both trained and not (unaffiliated), were responding. One of my clients’ subsidiaries, Southern California Edison, sent trucks, equipment and linemen along with staff from the community investment department, to help. Points of Light and its HandsOn Network (Volunteer Centers) were also responding. Nine affiliates through the region were, and are, active in the various phases of a disaster from initial relief, to recovery and resiliency.
My tour was through areas serviced by New York Cares. We drove the length of the Rockaway’s, visited their command center (very cold trailers), and homes that they were being mucked out. One home was being scrubbed for mold. After the home’s contents and dry wall had been removed, the studs were scrubbed so as the house could then be rebuilt. This is a tedious process and being done by volunteers. Many of the areas I visited are home to lower income and the elderly. Without the support of volunteers, many would not be able to rebuild, or rebuild as quickly. Volunteers have been providing many services in addition to those mentioned here. Tutoring children when the schools were closed so as they would not fall behind and now helping with income tax preparation as the disaster will make their returns far more complicated, are both examples.
Points of Light is building its infrastructure to better support the 250 HandsOn Network affiliates across the US, plus those outside the US, prepare and respond. Next time there is a disaster and you want to help, or be proactive with your support and help with the preparedness efforts, consider funding volunteer infrastructure. It’s a very important, and often overlooked, element of disasters. https://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/disasterhttp://www.newyorkcares.org/
When I served on Disaster Response assignment with AmeriCorps *NCCC in 1998, I had no idea that I was starting on the Emergency Management career path. That one month on assignment in the San Francisco area was an amazing experience. Helping with their flood response in the area of logistics taught me about all of the coordination that is needed in a disaster response. I learned to drive a forklift, helped provide supplies to the larger response, and even helped with client casework.
Shortly after leaving NCCC in 2001, I moved to Dallas to take a position with the American Red Cross as a logistics specialist. In this role, I was given the opportunity to manage the National Preparedness and Response Corps program and supervised 28 AmeriCorps Members. I was in this role when Hurricane Katrina hit and helped to manage the second largest sheltering operation the American Red Cross has ever conducted (the largest was in Houston during that time). The highlight of my Hurricane Katrina experience was seeing my AmeriCorps Members in action.
This response took place just three days after their training. They serve tirelessly for several months in extreme situations (primarily sheltering and logistics). I remember one 19 year old member who conducted training to a room of more than a hundred volunteers while standing on a chair so everyone could see her. Though they were a newly formed team, the members consistently checked on each other and encouraged one another. I am convinced that is how everyone managed to get through that difficult time.
Now I support the American Red Cross as a part of the Mass Care Task Force. The Mass Care Task Force is a partnership that was formed after Hurricane Katrina. The Chief Executive Officers of the American Red Cross North Texas Region, The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Command, the North Texas Food Bank and the Volunteer Center of North Texas decided, “We can do better”. In a large disaster the American Red Cross will shelter, the Salvation Army will feed, the North Texas Food Bank will provide food and the Volunteer Center of North Texas will manage spontaneous volunteers. All parties doing what they do best.
I work for the Volunteer Center, developing the volunteer intake and management process. This means working with the unique culture of each participant organization in order to honor their risk management practices and specific needs. This process will allow spontaneous volunteers to serve in a variety of roles more quickly and effectively. During Katrina, I felt a lot of the same frustration that the community felt in that they did not know how to serve and there was no clear process. The best part is that this model can be used outside of North Texas because each of the partners have corresponding National Organizations who have pledged their support of the initiative.
In addition to my professional role, I serve as the Chapter Leader for AmeriCorps Alums North Texas. I firmly believe that AmeriCorps Alums are uniquely suited to support disaster response in their local communities, due to their experience in serving others and working with volunteers. I encourage all AmeriCorps Alums to get involved.
The first step is to get personally prepared; getting together with family, close friends, neighbors, and other important people to plan what you would do in case of disaster. Fires happen, floods happen, tornadoes happen and you need to know how best to deal with those situations when they arise. This can include creating a communications plan to let people know you are safe, putting together a supply kit with essentials you may need, and identifying hazards in your home or neighborhood you could mitigate to make yourself safer. There are a multitude of websites that you can use, including Good and Ready.
The next step is to find a way to support your community when disasters occur. I am a firm believer in the Citizen’s Corps programs. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are very specific to an area and connect you with the best resources and other people in your area who want to help. The training is pretty interesting and includes hands on components. People also have the option of connecting with local disaster response organizations like the American Red Cross. There is something out there for everyone.
AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas is actively pursuing a relationship with local AmeriCorps programs and our state commission, the One Star Foundation, to provide training support for currently serving AmeriCorps Members and Alums. It is our hope that all individuals who what to help in times of disaster know exactly what to do and where to serve.
September is National Preparedness Month – it’s a great time to make sure you and your family know what to do in the event of an emergency. Whether it’s an earthquake, severe weather, or a flu pandemic, it’s important to have a plan for how to respond when disaster strikes.
We are trying to make it easier for everyone to get prepared for an emergency with our Good & Ready campaign. In partnership with Ready.gov, American Red Cross and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, we’re preparing individuals, families and communities for emergencies and offering training and resources on how to recover after an emergency.
While we know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we’re sweetening the pot just a little bit. When you make a pledge to get Good & Ready and report back on it, you’ll be entered to win a $500 gift card from Target that you can use to help get prepared for an emergency or donate to your favorite nonprofit!
You can take the Good & Ready quiz to find out how much you know about emergency preparedness, too! When you take the quiz, you’ll be entered in a quiz to win a ReadyBox to use as part of your home emergency preparedness kit.
There’s a great opportunity to bring community members together and get trained coming up soon, too. The Resilient Response Community Engagement Exercise series is designed to provide individuals an opportunity to bring neighborhood residents together to work through the various preparedness actions and response activities. On September 25, the exercise deals with community response to a flood.
Taking part in the exercise is another great way you can get a chance to win a $500 gift card from Target. All you need to do is tell us about your experience with the exercise and you’ll be entered!
What are you doing to get Good & Ready for an emergency? Let us know in the comments!
Friday Volunteer News Round Up!
It’s Friday! We hope everyone is staying safe and out of harms way of Hurricane Isaac. Here are ways you can help and stay prepared for hurricane weather through the Red Cross. We will continue to update our Handson Network disaster web page as we receive new updates.
Today’s Turning Point comes from guest writer, Charlotte Bilski a senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y. She is the co-president of her school’s community service club, SHARE and co-founder of her school’s AFYA club.
Sitting among the remnants of a house that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, in Saint Bernard Parish, La., I gently ran my fingers across the worn tile floor. The jagged tiles, all different hues of red, were the only pieces of the house to remain intact. The house had been stripped of its roof, its walls, and its steps; however, an undeniable presence of its spirit remained. This house used to be a home, I thought. I could feel it.
Now trembling, I continued to run my fingers alongside the edges of the tiles. An overpowering surge of energy shook my core as a profusion of ambiguous memories, of this family’s past, flooded my mind. Like a tragic apparition, I could feel what this family had lost: everything. I started to cry. Prior to this moment in my 12-year-old life, I had never witnessed something so real and so scary. This could happen to anyone, I thought. This could happen to me. Nobody is safe from a natural disaster.
As it was unrealistic to expect everyone in my comfortable, Northeastern suburb to understand the dire need to rebuild after natural disasters, I knew that I had a big job ahead of me: to advocate for victims of natural disasters worldwide.
Fast-forward four years: I started volunteering at the AFYA Foundation. AFYA, meaning good health in Swahili, sends unused medical supplies to the clinics of lesser-developed countries. Much of AFYA’s work has been focused on helping victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. By creating an AFYA club at my high school I have helped to collect hundreds of crutches, walkers, and blankets to health clinics in Haiti. Our club also sends groups of students to the AFYA warehouse in Yonkers, New York to help sort the donated supplies from the various hospitals. Recently, during our school’s midterms week, we hosted a school-wide pen drive where the pens were donated to doctors in Haitian medical clinics. During that single week, we collected approximately 1,000 pens.
Since my first humanitarian trip to Louisiana, I have returned twice to help rebuild the communities and hear the stories of the Gulf Coast. I never cease to be amazed by the extraordinary optimism possessed by people who tirelessly work to rebuild their communities and their lives. They are my constant reminder to never lose hope and never stop helping others.
There is very little in life of which we are in control. We cannot control time, we cannot control the physical world, and we cannot control the actions of others, but we can control our actions to make the world a better place than when we entered it and our outlooks on life. Thanks to the people of the Gulf Coast, I know the potential that each human being possesses to transform his or her reality.
Charlotte is also a co-chair of J-Teen Leadership, a Jewish, teen-led, community service and advocacy organization. Charlotteis a member of the 2011 PARADE All-America High School Service Team, an award recognizing outstanding young service leaders presented by Parade Magazinein partnership withgenerationOn, the global youth enterprise of Points of Light.
National Volunteer Week Project Linked to Tropical Storm Irene
I am the executive director of the all-volunteer Long Island Volunteer Center, an affiliate of HandsOn Network. Volunteeringinamerica.gov continues to rank New York last in the nation, and we were named a regional volunteer center to help raise the profile of volunteerism and increase the number of volunteers in the region.
One of our National Volunteer Week service projects had all the right ingredients to create a memory marker. It was accomplished in honor of our beloved Founder and President, Joan Imhof, who we lost in December after a brief illness. Board member, Dave Okorn, who heads the Long Island Community Foundation, donated the funds to the Suffolk County United Veterans Project, which helps homeless veterans on Long Island. We refurbished the grounds of a group home and cleared debris caused by Tropical Storm Irene. The project was done in conjunction with a corporate community service initiative we support, and that Joan helped create 20 years ago, called Long Island Volunteer Enterprise. It was serendipity from start to finish – we even learned that our efforts fell neatly into the Keep America Beautiful Project!
Here is how the day in Shirley, N.Y. unfolded:
The backyard team consisted of Warren Ferry of United Methodist Church Disaster Volunteers leading the effort to clear out debris with the help of my brother-in-law who has a strong desire to help veterans. Dave brought a friend to help rake while he cut down tree limbs. In the front, were members of the corporate initiative representing Deloitte, Peoples Federal Credit Union, JMC Enterprises and MTA Transit Solutions as well as our co-sponsor, United Way of Long Island, Joan’s daughter, Meg Imhof Callinan, and her two children, Jackie and Michael, lent their support by helping to clean out and weed flower beds, plant flowers and plants, and rake the side yard of debris.
There were 17 of us doing our part to beautify the area, improve the life circumstances of homeless veterans and remember a great humanitarian who founded an organization dedicated to volunteerism – a “trifecta” of good. It was a collaborative, voluntary effort which recognized the sacrifice of our veterans and helped clean-up from the wrath of Tropical Storm Irene.
Today’s turning point story is written by Natasha Colkmire, special markets national sales manager for Motel 6. In Natasha’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering at her church, working out through running, yoga and rock climbing.
April 27, 2011, is a day that I will never forget. It was the day that my small town, Ringgold, Ga., was torn apart by an F-4 tornado.
I had heard there were tornadoes hitting the south, and that they were moving my way. I went to my mom’s house since both my husband and my dad were out of town. It was just me, my mom and my little sisters, Makayla (14) and Malia (6). We had discussed that if the storm got really bad, we would move under the house into the crawlspace. Around 8 p.m., my mom opened the door and told me to come and look at the sky. She was looking up and to the right. As I approached the door, the wind picked up. Our power had just gone out and it was very dark and hard to see. I looked up and over to the left, and then I saw it. The tornado was only about a half-mile away from us and headed in our direction. I started screaming for my mom to get the girls underneath the house. Once we were in the crawlspace, we just kept praying for our own safety as well as our friends and neighbors.
Finally, we decided to get out and assess the damage. Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw. The tornado did not actually come into our subdivision, almost as if the gates that surround us would not let it in. Everything else was destroyed though. The whole town was just mangled as if it were a piece of paper that had been balled up and thrown away.
The next few days, week, and months were completely devoted to restoring our community. We helped so many people cut down trees, remove debris from their yards, provide warm meals, and pray for their emotional and physical healings. We felt that since we were so blessed to have been protected by God from the tornado, it was the least that we could do. It wasn’t just us though. There were so many people who were doing the same thing all throughout Ringgold. April 27 was such a terrible day felt by many all over the south; however, you can always find something good out of the bad things that you go through. Just as there are rainbows after a storm (and there was a double rainbow in Ringgold the day after the tornado), something good is to come from trials. In a time of need, our community came together to provide for those who had been effected. Nothing mattered at the time except for caring for each other. We get so wrapped in our day to day life that most of the time, we forget to be a neighbor when we should be caring for one another on a daily basis. I think all were humbled by our experience, those who were helped and those that helped. I know it humbled me.
Change Notes: Japan One Year Later
Friends,
Sunday will mark one year since Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake and tsunami. Nearly 16,000 people lost their lives. The natural disaster damaged or destroyed more than 139,000 buildings and 2,000 roads – taking with it the physical and cultural infrastructure in towns and cities in the northeast and eastern regions of Japan.
Over the past 12 months, thousands of volunteers – from within Japan and abroad – have come together to not only rebuild structures, but also renew communities.
Points of Light’s affiliate, Hands On Tokyo, has been organizing volunteers to help with recovery since the immediate aftermath – initially delivering supplies to more than 37 shelters and now helping restore community life by creating safe spaces and opportunities for people to connect and convene as a community.
Points of Light has built a partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Association and Trust and partnered with Ebay Giving Works to use individuals’ generous donations to help HandsOn Tokyo expand its mobile Community Café model that provides the opportunity for those living in temporary housing to come together as a community and share experiences, activities and a spirit of hopefulness. The cafe serves as a hub of connection, inspiration and action, and fosters well-being, collaboration and sustained volunteer commitment.
This support is also helping Hands On Tokyo begin construction of a community center with the help of volunteers in Ogatsu-cho, one of the most-impacted communities, this spring.
Corinne Johnson, chair of the Hands On Tokyo Board of Directors, explained that prior to the disaster, Ogatsu-cho was a thriving community. The city lost most of its public facilities in the tsunami and now has only 900 residents. To rebuild the community, materials and supplies have been donated to be used to build a community center and Hands On Tokyo will organize and manage volunteers to help build out the facility – including bringing volunteers in from Tokyo and collaboration with local residents. The completed facility will serve 165,000 people.
“Seeing the power of volunteers to create change and rebuild the community has been enormously inspiring,” said Corinne.
The reasons behind volunteers’ commitment to rebuilding in Japan are varied. Corinne shared the story of one woman who has lived in Japan for 17 years. Since the disaster, she has made 17 trips to the remote Tohoku community – a six-hour drive – to assist in the rebuilding effort to thank the country she said has been so welcoming to her. Another woman, Naho Hozumi, was a housewife before the disaster and found her passion to help led her to become Hands On Tokyo’s full-time program manager for disaster services.
While Corinne said there is still a lot of work to be done, she said the “impact possible when volunteers come together to help communities recover, and to significantly improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people” has been wonderfully illustrated in Japan.
Points of Light Disaster Services – like those deployed in Japan – focus on three primary areas: emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Annually, our HandsOn Network volunteer centers engage more than 100,000 volunteers in disaster response activities. These volunteers contribute more than two million hours of service with an economic impact of more than $40 million to communities recovering from disaster. In 2011, Points of Light was awarded Member of Year by National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD).
Time and time again, we see the amazing response of individuals across the globe to helping their neighbors (across the street or across the globe) recover from devastating disasters. In the process they not only physically rebuild but restore precious hope. We encourage you to learn more about how you can help or make a donation to our disaster recovery efforts.
Yours in service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
News Flash: Recovering From Hurricane Irene
As the events of Hurricane Irene unfolded over the weekend and early this week, HandsOn Network, Points of Light Institute’s volunteer activation division, has been working to support on-the-ground mobilization of volunteer responders who will play a significant role in storm recovery and rebuilding.
Kellie Bentz, our director of disaster services, has been working as a partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to support local efforts by our affiliates and partners on the eastern seaboard. While at FEMA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, Kellie received briefings from President Barack Obama, the governors of each state and FEMA leadership, as well as information regarding specific post-storm needs our affiliates may be able to support.
HandsOn Network is working with affiliates and partners in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. We are monitoring the situation in these and other areas as flooding, wind damage, tornadoes, dam breaches and massive power outages are assessed.
Please continue to visit our website for updates related to this disaster, including opportunities to serve. Many of our affiliates are currently registering volunteer interest. Once the storm is passed, we will evaluate needs and begin to deploy volunteers.
GET ENGAGED
Register your interest to volunteer at the following Volunteer Center websites:
Please be reminded, as with all disasters, please do not self-deploy to the region impacted by the disaster. Please wait until volunteer assistance is requested.
Volunteers play an important role in rebuilding communities affected by disasters like Hurricane Irene. These selfless individuals leave their homes, roll up their sleeves and help others get back to normal. This spirit of compassion and generosity can not only restore homes, schools and businesses, but also catalyze new forms of community engagement, helping people take their community’s problems and challenges into their own hands and create solutions.
For additional information on how to be prepared for emergency situations like Hurricane Irene visit the Good & Ready website to learn how to create family emergency plans, build emergency preparedness kits and get trained with an emergency response organization.
Hurricane Irene Recovery
Hurricane Irene flooding into Asbury Park, N.J., Aug. 28.
Today marks the Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. When disaster hits service prevails and there always seems to be volunteers ready to lend a hand to assist neighbors and strangers. We appreciate all the thousands of volunteers who have helped in rebuilding New Orleans and offer the opportunity for volunteers who want to assist in the rebuild from the damage Hurricane Irene has caused this weekend.
As Hurricane Irene continues moving along the East Coast, HandsOn Network is working with local affiliates and national partners, including the Corporation for National and Community Service, to determine volunteer opportunities available to meet the need of those communities impacted by this storm. Please continue to visit our website for updates related to this disaster, including opportunities to serve. Many of our affiliates are currently registering volunteer interest. Once the storm is passed, we will evaluate needs and begin to deploy volunteers.
GET ENGAGED
Register your interest to volunteer at the following Volunteer Center websites:
Please be reminded, as with all disasters, please do not self-deploy to the region impacted by the disaster. Please wait until volunteer assistance is requested.
Today’s Turning Point comes from guest writer, Charlotte Bilski a senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y. She is the co-president of her school’s community service club, SHARE and co-founder of her school’s AFYA club. 
Today’s post is written by Diana O’Neill, executive director of the 
Today’s turning point story is written by Natasha Colkmire, special markets national sales manager for Motel 6. In Natasha’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering at her church, working out through running, yoga and rock climbing.
Points of Light has built a partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Association and Trust and partnered with Ebay Giving Works to use individuals’ generous donations to help HandsOn Tokyo expand its mobile Community Café model that provides the opportunity for those living in temporary housing to come together as a community and share experiences, activities and a spirit of hopefulness. The cafe serves as a hub of connection, inspiration and action, and fosters well-being, collaboration and sustained volunteer commitment.
