Search Results for: help

10 Disaster Relief Charities: Where to Go for Help After a Disaster

When disaster strikes you or your family, it’s normal to feel helpless. It is natural to be frightened and to wonder where to turn to find the aid you’ll need to get through to the next day. But there are many places to go for help. Disaster relief charities exist and will reach out to any community in need. Whether it’s medical care, food, and water, shelter, hygiene products, spiritual guidance, or even cold hard cash, you can find what you need to get you by after a disaster. Even once the initial shock and the need for immediate relief subsides, many organizations will help with repairs.

Disaster Relief Charities

These groups are dedicated to helping those who have been affected by disasters. It is literally what they are there for. So, take advantage of their services in any way you can. The best plan is to know which organizations are available locally before disaster strikes. Therefore, make it part of your disaster preparedness plan. Find out which humanitarian groups are available in your area. Consider whether or not you have a strong preference for taking aid from a secular organization versus a religious one. Then, ask for help when you need it.

American Red Cross

disaster relief charities — Image CC0, by ErikLyngsoe, via Pixabay

The American Red Cross is a secular, volunteer-led humanitarian organization. This massive organization provides not only disaster relief, but also blood donations, safety training, international relief services, and aid for military families. The American Red Cross’ mission statement declares that the organization “prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

The Red Cross offers medical care, financial assistance, and emergency communication at no cost to those in need. It also operates disaster shelters across the country.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian organization that provides some services to those in crisis. This organization offers disaster relief, financial assistance, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and aid for veterans and the elderly. The Salvation Army also vows to end human trafficking, domestic violence, gang violence, LGBTQ issues, poverty, and unemployment. The Salvation Army operates thrift stores located across the country as well. While there is no cost to receive assistance from The Salvation Army, you may be expected to spread the organization’s religious agenda.

United Way

The United Way is a secular volunteer organization that specializes in responding to poverty and its effects on health, education, and stability. United Way’s 211 program allows anyone in need of help to dial 211 from any phone. Dialing that number puts the caller in touch with local relief services. This includes disaster relief, emergency alerts, mental health support, shelters, domestic violence assistance, housing and utility assistance, employment services, healthcare information, and aid for veterans.

World Vision

World Vision is a global Christian humanitarian organization. Although the organization identifies itself as religious, it stresses that its services are available to all people of all faiths, as well as those who do not practice religion at all. World Vision’s focus is mostly on connecting children in third world countries with sponsors. The sponsors pay a monthly fee to help provide those children with food, drinking water, and access to education. The organization also provides relief in the event of a disaster.

Learn more about World Vision below:

Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse is another Christian organization dedicated to helping people around the world in the name of Jesus. This organization, devoted to global disaster response, stockpiles supplies in warehouses all over the globe. When disaster strikes, they hand out food, water, cooking utensils, food, blankets, tents, and rain gear. Samaritan’s Purse also supplies hospitals with medical supplies and dispatches medical teams to areas where people have no access to emergency medical care.

Episcopal Relief and Development

Episcopal Relief and Development is the official organization of the Episcopal Church. It focuses on four distinct goals: hunger, healthcare, economic opportunities, and disaster relief. This organization has a well-developed U.S. Disaster Program, which proved key in response to the 2017 hurricane season. Episcopal Relief and Development offers a wealth of disaster preparedness education resources on its website.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities serves communities with over 160 agencies across the United States. Each agency offers social services customized for the specific community it serves. Catholic Charities is the official disaster relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church. The organization provides direct long-term and short-term aid to relief victims. The aid they provide often includes food, water, home repairs, rebuilding, and cash assistance.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is the humanitarian organization of the United Methodist Church. This organization and its donors ship disaster relief kits around the world. Cleaning kits, Hygiene kits, and school kids are designed to help people keep living their daily lives after surviving a disaster. Volunteers can go to the UMC’s website to find instructions for assembling relief kits and to print shipping labels. They can then ship supplies directly to The United Methodist Committee on Relief for distribution.

Operation Blessing

Operation Blessing is a non-denominational Christian organization that vows to ease global human suffering through the “demonstration of God’s love.” This organization aids not only those affected by natural disasters but also refugees fleeing war-torn countries. This includes housing, food, shelter, and medical care. Operation Blessing also runs a program called Extreme Blessing Home Makeover, which rebuilds the home of those affected by disasters at no charge.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is an association of over 50 organizations that provide disaster relief services. These include religious, secular, and government-sponsored disaster relief charities where people affected by disasters can go for help in an emergency. Anyone with the proper experience can become a member of the NVOAD and help to coordinate disaster relief efforts by applying on the official National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website.

How You Can Help

Every organization on this list relies at least mostly on donations and volunteers to provide disaster relief services for those in need. Donating is easier than ever. Just plug in the website of the disaster relief charities of your choice and donate instantly. But, don’t feel like you can’t help if you’re not able to afford to make a monetary donation. Time or item donations are also essential. Maybe you have a basement full of old camping equipment. This could provide shelter and safety for someone displaced by a hurricane. Or, perhaps you make a mean homemade chicken soup and would enjoy handing out hot meals to those in need of nourishment. Contact one of the disaster relief charities in your community, and find out what they need. Some will even arrange pick-up or transportation if you want to volunteer.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help in your time of need. And encourage your friends and family to do the same. There is no need to suffer when is available needlessly. Reach out to disaster relief charities that provide relief if you’ve been affected by a disaster. Then, ask them what they can do to help you survive as comfortably as possible. The number of services available may surprise you. Many even go beyond the primary responsibility of handing out bottled water, food and supplies. Many disaster relief organizations also provide cash assistance, housing, medical care, and even counseling, if you apply for them.

Be Prepared

Preparedness is always the best plan, so choose an organization before you desperately need one. Create a disaster preparedness plan and review it often. Encourage your friends, family, and everyone else in your community to do the same. Consider donating money or volunteering your time. Choose the disaster relief charities you and your family would most likely turn to if you found yourselves in need. Then, you won’t feel like you’re getting something for nothing if you end up needing their services some day. Even if you never do, you’ll feel good. You’ll know that you’ve helped people at what was probably their lowest, most vulnerable moment in life. And you’ll know that there are people out there who will make sure that you are taken care of, should you ever end up on the other side of the disaster equation.

Featured Image CC 0 by paulbr75, via Pixabay

FEMA Disaster Relief Can Help Survivors Get Back on Their Feet

FEMA disaster relief is your biggest ally If you’ve ever lived through a hurricane, a wildfire, an earthquake or a major flood. They are the people who help Americans get on the road to recovery, through financial assistance and infrastructure repair.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began in 1979 as an effort to coordinate emergency response throughout the nation. In the past, more than 100 state and federal agencies handled disaster response. Jimmy Carter created FEMA through an executive order to consolidate the response.

In 2003, President George W. Bush folded FEMA into the Department of Homeland Security. Today, the agency is under threat. Instead, they believe, most of the responsibilities should be given back to the states and localities.

What is FEMA?

Summer is on its way, and if it’s like most recent summers, the nation is in for its share of natural disasters. That’s when FEMA steps in. While FEMA is best known for stepping in during and after hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes, they also handle human-made disasters, such as hazardous material spills, bombings, and even war. They were among the responders as 9/11.

FEMA isn’t just there to help people after a disaster. They work with people to prevent damage beforehand. Through their Project Impact, they help individuals and communities steady structures for impending disasters. For example, they might help retrofit buildings in earthquake-prone San Francisco, or they might help board up homes in Florida that are in the path of a hurricane. During the Cold War, they even helped prepare buildings for a nuclear attack.

What does FEMA disaster relief entail?

FEMA disaster relief can assist first responders, but FEMA isn’t a first responder organization. Firefighters, police, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and sometimes the National Guard are the first on the scene.

FEMA’s primary job is to get disaster victims back on their feet. They coordinate with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army in setting up care centers and shelters. They provide food, water, and with the help of the Red Cross, medical care. That’s just the beginning, though.

They also provide:

Housing

FEMA offers temporary housing assistance by offering temporary rental grants, or if no rentals are available, they provide government housing
If your insurance won’t pay for all of your repairs, FEMA can pitch in to help with the costs
They provide money for homes that are completely destroyed and uninsured.

Medical

If you need medical assistance, disaster-related or not, FEMA is there to assist
They help cover dental bills
They also help cover funeral expenses related to the disaster

Property

If your home is unlivable because of a disaster, FEMA can help with transportation and storage for your furniture. Sometimes, they help replaced destroyed personal property
FEMA will assist you with moving expenses
They help rebuild and repair damaged infrastructure, which includes bridges, roads, sewer lines and public buildings
FEMA helps remove debris left behind by the disaster

H/T: How Stuff Works

What is the dispatch process for FEMA critical needs assistance?

FEMA can assist first responders, but FEMA isn’t a first responder organization. Firefighters, police, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and sometimes the National Guard are the first on the scene. When FEMA arrives before a disaster, it’s to prepare for the inevitable by setting up aid stations, bringing supplies and helping people prepare homes and small businesses.

In most disasters, the President, usually at the request of the affected state’s governors, declares a national disaster. That allows the federal government to send assistance.

How long does it take for FEMA to arrive?

If there is prior warning, such as with hurricanes, the president appoints, upon FEMA’s recommendation, a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO). The FCO manages the flow of information to rescue personnel and political leaders. He or she also sets up a field office near the disaster site.

FEMA’s biggest fumble to date was during Hurricane Katrina. Even then, FEMA was on the ground before the storm. Unfortunately, they lacked preparation. Here’s just one instance:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has been accused of being so concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack that it failed to prepare properly for a much more inevitable natural disaster.

After the authorities in Baton Rouge had prepared a field hospital for victims of the storm, Fema sent its first batch of supplies, all of which were designed for use against chemical attack, including drugs such as Cipro, which is designed for use against anthrax. “We called them up and asked them: ‘Why did you send that, and they said that’s what it says in the book’,” said a Baton Rouge official.
Source: The Guardian

Many also blamed New Orlean’s mayor and the governor of Louisiana. Most agree that many agencies and many people were ultimately to blame.

FEMA after Katrina

After Katrina, Americans lost trust in FEMA. Fortunately, they learned their lesson. During Hurricane Sandy, for example, FEMA received rave reviews for their response. They deployed some personnel three days before the storm hit. President Barack Obama declared the emergency declaration the day before the storm hit. He amended that to a major disaster declaration the day after the storm.

FEMA continues to receive criticism over its response in 2017 to Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in September. There were some FEMA personnel on the ground before the storm hit, but far fewer than were needed.

Once the government dispatches FEMA to a disaster area, they can stay for months or even years.

How to Qualify for FEMA Public Assistance

If a natural disaster has affected you, go to DisasterAssistance.gov to see if your area is eligible. Whether you are a renter or a homeowner, if you’ve lost your home to a disaster, FEMA might help with what insurance doesn’t cover.

If you run a small business, FEMA can’t directly help you, but they do partner with the Small Business Administration, which offers low-interest loans to help cover damages.

FEMA also offers burial assistance, assistance with moving, and childcare assistance. They even offer assistance in finding a new vehicle if the disaster destroys yours.

FEMA does not offer assistance for second homes.

To apply, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). They will ask for your social security number, the address of the damaged home and your current address. They’ll need the name of your insurance company along with the account number. You’ll also be asked your annual income and for a description of the damage. If you’d like direct deposit into your account, they’ll need your bank account number and routing number.

Where to find a FEMA service center

To locate a FEMA disaster relief service center, AKA, a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, you can go to FEMA’s website and type in your address. You can also download their free app from the Apple App Store or GooglePlay.

If you prefer not to download an app, you can text DRC and your zip code to 43362. They will text you the nearest locations. Standard message data rates apply.

You can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT.

Source: FEMA

How long till I get paid after filling out a FEMA application

Once you are deemed eligible, a process which can vary in length depending on several factors, it only takes about 2-4 days before you see the money. Direct deposit is faster, but they can mail you a check. FEMA will only help with what insurance doesn’t cover. Their goal is to get you back on your feet, but not necessarily back to the same living standard as before.

FEMA and Disasters

At any given time, there are about 10,000 FEMA employees ready to be dispatched to the next disaster, whether natural or man-made. Most are reservists. Despite the good intentions of FEMA disaster relief workers, it is still a bureaucratic agency. Despite the fact that FEMA was formed to eliminate some of the multi-agency confusion, FEMA has to coordinate with several local and federal agencies.

FEMA and politics

In the worst of circumstances, FEMA disaster relief is a political tool. FEMA can’t do anything until the President declares a national emergency. Less than fair presidents can lavish resources on friendly states and hold back on others. Such accusations cloud President Trump in his response to Hurricane Maria and President Bush in his response to Hurricane Katrina. There is no proof that that was the case in either situation, but both responses show tremendous opportunities for improvements for FEMA disaster relief.

Scientists almost unanimously agree that climate change is a cause of increased natural disasters. However, under the Trump administration, FEMA is unconcerned. Their 2018-2022 strategic plan makes no mention of global climate change.

FEMA’s future is unclear. Washington Democrats want to strengthen the agency, while Republicans want to weaken it or eliminate it altogether.

Featured image: Public Domain, by Pete Souza, via the White House

How to Help Someone With PTSD after a Natural Disaster

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious emotional and mental issue that can significantly impair a person’s ability to function in daily life. It often results in symptoms that occur after a natural disaster has been experienced. With the number of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornados, typhoons, and tsunamis that have occurred over the past few years, it should not be a surprise that the number of people experiencing symptoms of PTSD has increased dramatically. For loved ones and friends of those that have experienced a natural disaster, understanding the signs and symptoms and trying a few ideas focused on how to help someone with PTSD can help alleviate your anxiety as well.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

The signs and symptoms of those experiencing a traumatic event will be much like the stages of grief.

Intense emotional distress – resulting in difficulty concentrating, outbursts of anger, panic attacks, and difficulty sleeping.
The avoidance stage – where feelings of detachment, apathy, and hopelessness may take over.
Flashbacks – may result in physical reactions when a person is reminded of the traumatic event. They may also have recurrent nightmares and even daytime flashbacks.
Severe cases – will include paranoia, agitation, palpitations and even a loss of memory.
How to Help Someone With PTSD

While the symptoms of PTSD are similar in most cases, the severity is very individualized. Here are some ideas recommended by authorities when you’re trying to figure out how to help someone with PTSD.

1. Listen

When it comes to how to help someone with PTSD, one of the best ways is to be a good listener. Although human nature demands that advice be given in almost any situation, resist the urge. Be available, be empathetic, be sympathetic but don’t be pushy. A person with PTSD will talk when they’re ready. When they are ready to talk just remember that discussing the traumatic incident in their own way is an important part of the healing process. Don’t tell them to get over it or that everything will be okay. Most importantly, don’t remind them that it could have been worse. Instead, listen without disapproval, judgment or unsolicited advice.

2. Create a Sense of Safety

One of the symptoms of PTSD is a sense of paranoia. The world feels like it is an extremely dangerous place that is out to get them. Therefore, when learning how to help someone with PTSD it’s important to find ways to rebuild their sense of security. That can be accomplished by providing structure, dependability and predictability in a safe environment. You need to share your commitment to see the process through and reinforce the concept that your relationship and trustworthiness will be consistent.

3. Provide Social Support

When someone suffers from PTSD after a natural disaster it’s not uncommon for them to begin withdrawing even from family and friends. They often believe that others won’t understand, may pity them, may think they’re crazy and may even begin to be judgmental as they fail to recover at an expected rate. Personally, they may begin to feel ashamed or fear they’ll lose control. They may also not want to become a burden to those they love. It’s important to remember that too much isolation can be extremely detrimental to recovery. Therefore, it’s important to stay close while expressing love but begin to get them out a little at a time increasing the time away from home and intensity of destinations each time. Begin with a drive around the block in order to build up to a visit to the mall at Christmas.

4. Anticipate Triggers

PTSD is an emotional state that is just as hard for the patient to understand as it is for those around them. It’s not uncommon for people places and things to serve as triggers that revive the trauma and cause all the feelings to resurface from time to time. Although some triggers appear logical, others seem to have no relationship to the trauma at all. Crowds, physical restraints, confined spaces, funeral homes and hospitals often emit sounds, smells, or sensations that can be associated with acts that caused the trauma in the first place. Even dates and locations can cause a negative reaction. Avoiding triggers is a key to recovery. Eventually, with help, the brain will recover and the triggers will lessen.

5. Remain Calm

Individuals diagnosed with PTSD will be in a constant state of turmoil. Physical stressors can lead to overreactions and emotional outbursts that may appear unreasonable. Some use anger as a self-defense mechanism to mask fears, vulnerability and sadness while others will suppress their anger because they fear what they may do only to erupt later when they reach their breaking point. How you can help someone with PTSD the best is to try to diffuse the situation by remaining calm and reminding them that they’re safe.

You don’t want them to feel physically threatened so give them the space they need but always put your own safety first along with those around you. Minimizing input helps so turn off the TV, try to get them to go into the bathroom and turn off the lights and remind them to breathe slowly. If necessary, physically remove yourself and others from the situation to allow time for the person with PTSD to deescalate.

6. Take Care of Yourself

PTSD affects not only the individual afflicted but all those around them. It can be emotionally draining because the outcome of the condition is unpredictable. Each person is different and handles the condition differently and there is no manually explaining how to help someone with PTSD. Caregivers can end up becoming traumatized themselves if they don’t take care of themselves. Therefore, take time for yourself. Step away from the situation for a day, weekend or week and defuse. Then, when you go back remind yourself to take a deep breath and know that the condition does get better with proper treatment and time.

7. Make a Plan

Those with PTSD will suffer from nightmares, panic attacks, flashbacks and eruptions. It is just part of the condition. It’s important you and the individual work together to map out what will help the situation seem less scary not only for both of you but also for those around you. If children are in the home it’s important to include them in the discussion as well. They need to know that the symptoms of PTSD are not their fault and has nothing to do with their behavior. Discuss what’s worked previously and what’s only made the situation worse.

Discuss the fact that during an episode the person with PTSD will disassociate and that everyone’s job is to get them grounded as quickly as possible. Tell the sufferer that they’re having an episode and that they’re safe, remind them of where they are, encourage them to breathe deeply and always ask before you touch them. Be sure the children have a safe place to go, as well, when an episode starts.

8. Get Professional Help

The only way to truly and permanently get over PTSD is with professional help. It can often be a “hard-sell” to the person suffering from the condition but it’s an important step to recovery. Make sure you time the discussion during a non-episodic period and remind them that if they find it unhelpful, they can cease treatment at any time. Once you get their foot in the door then it’s up to the doctor to convince them to keep coming.

Summing Up

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to learn how to help someone with PTSD and to help them during their recovery. You don’t have to do this alone so don’t be afraid to build your own support system who can help take on some of the responsibilities of caring for your loved one. You need to be aware of your personal limits, take time to take care of yourself and remind yourself that with the right treatment and support PTSD is curable. Finally, this is no time to “fly by the seat of your pants” so make a plan. You know what to expect so now you need to figure out how to deal with it.

Emergency Pediatric Care or How to Help Children in a Crisis

Children require special emergency pediatric care, as they are more vulnerable to the effects of a disaster. Any parent, family member, or guardian, wants to make sure that their loved ones are safe. Planning for a disaster can be a bit overwhelming. However, you must be prepared for any emergency. Depending on the area where you live, you might be at risk for forest fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and severe weather. Let’s talk about why the little ones need more care and how you can help them during a crisis.

Why Are Children More Vulnerable?

Children are very different from adults because:

They are more prone to injuries and diseases.
Kids breathe in more air than adults do.
They have thinner, more delicate skin.
Children have fewer fluids in their bodies, thus fluid loss can have a larger effect on them.
They lose body heat faster.
Kids don’t fully understand the concept of safety.
They depend on adults.
Children may not know how to explain what hurts.
Kids do not fully understand the situation they are in.

It only takes three seconds for an earthquake to crush a home and the family inside it.

In just five hours, a flood can as much as drown a whole town. As a result, thousands of kids can be left vulnerable to deadly diseases such as malaria or cholera.

Seven days is all it takes for the lives of children to be threatened. Many countries run out of food and water and the outcome of such as disaster is malnutrition and salvation.

Are You and Your Family at Risk?

The Alert Systems Group’s disaster risk map provides us with information about the possible risks you may be facing depending on where you live. Natural disasters can affect anyone. The same goes for man-made ones. Different types of emergencies require different skills and different knowledge on how to handle them.

How to Prepare for Emergencies

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Readiness Kit can help you be prepared for almost every natural disaster. It was developed by specialists after discussing with thousands of families. The feedback they received helped make a set of unique, vital materials. The kit can be used at home by any member of the family.

It is important for adults to be prepared to meet the emotional needs of their children. Kids often say that their parents avoid discussing disaster. However, talking about these natural events may make the young ones feel safer.

Although it may be difficult to start preparing for an emergency, once you dive into the process, it becomes a lot easier. All family members can come together to make a disaster plan. Even the child’s doctor can help. Consequently, during your next visit to the doctor’s office, ask them how should you prepare for an emergency.

How to Communicate with Your Children

Tell them about the disasters that could happen in the area where you live. Teach them what are the different warning signs (fire alarm, tornado siren, and more).
Show them where the list of contact is. It’s important they know where to find the doctor’s or the pharmacy’s phone numbers.
Teach them what 911 is and how to dial the number.
Consider using the Child ID Card. Place a copy in their backpack.
Arrange a meeting place in case you ever become separated from the rest of the family.
Install the Red Cross Emergency App. If your kid is old enough for a phone, download the app to their smartphone. It will alert them of any watch or warning.
Show children where the smoke alarms are.
Teach the young ones how to use the fire extinguisher.

Who Provides Emergency Pediatric Care?

Children requiring emergency pediatric care have unique needs, especially when their lives are threatened. The majority of kids, either ill or injured, are brought to community hospital emergency departments. Furthermore, emergency medical services agencies can provide out-of-hospital care.

To meet the requirements of pediatric care, the Emergency Nurses Association developed the ENPC certification course. The Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course is intended to improve the care of the children by increasing the level of knowledge, the skills, and the confidence among the nursing staff.

Your neighbors may become lifesavers as well. Learn who has special qualifications such as doctors, nurses, or other emergency care practitioners.

Post-Disaster Psychological Needs

Emergency pediatric care does not end with the process of preparing for a disaster or the medical care given to treat injuries or illnesses. Parents must be aware that the psychological effects do not just disappear. Once the event has passed, you must take care of your child’s needs for a long period of time. Experts say that children can show signs of trauma for up to two years. These signs are often in the form of nightmares, but there may be other problems as well.

Children need support regardless of the fact that they may seem fine. Sometimes, kids do no exhibit signs of trauma for months after the event. Furthermore, some children may never show signs of distress, but there will be long-lasting psychological effects nonetheless. Therefore, observe your child’s behavioral changes carefully. After a trauma, children need extra counseling and attention.

Parents must seek professional help, but they must also help their children cope with what has happened. Talk to them about their fears. Ask them what they are concerned about. Listen to their feelings without judging. Try to understand their fears regardless of the fact that they may seem irrational.

Offer them reassurance that they will always be taken care of. It is also important they know they know that their family will stick together. Let them cry if they need to, and remind them that it is ok to be afraid from time to time. They do not always have to be brave. They may feel that everything is out of their control. Therefore, show them that there are many things that they are still in control of.

It’s important you remember that a disaster can occur at any given time. Luckily, there are ways to keep your children safe. The key thing to do is be prepared and teach your children everything you know. Have them learn early on about the possible danger in your area, how to avoid it, and where to find emergency pediatric care.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2, 3

Top 10 Disaster Relief Organizations and How They Can Help

You may have heard of disaster relief organizations and disaster recovery before, but don’t really know what these terms refer to or how they are different. Our guide on disaster relief organizations will help you understand what they do better, and then proceed to present these top organization in detail and give you extra links and resources you may need. This way, you can find out more about how you can maybe become a volunteer within these organizations, or find out more about your options and how to call for emergency help whenever disaster strikes your community. First of all, let’s take a deeper look at what disaster relief is.

When disasters occur, either from natural causes (hurricanes, tornados, floods, and so on) or human-engineered ones (like terrorist attacks, disastrous cyber-attacks, etc.), specialized teams are ready to intervene and help people come back from these disruptions. There are two main sides to organized response to disastrous events: disaster relief and disaster recovery. Disaster relief refers mainly to interventions from authorities and humanitarian organizations, in order to help the people and communities get medical care, food and shelter, as well as return to their previous state as fast as possible.

What Does a Disaster Relief Organization Do?

Disaster relief work, also known as emergency management, refers to the work and interventions required to help communities recover from disasters. This type of activity requires two main lines of work:

Creating plans through which a community can reduce their vulnerability to disasters, plus making some prevention and preparedness work;
Intervening in communities hit by disaster and handing out disaster relief help according to the main priorities which occur, plus helping the community get back on its feet and preserving its livelihood post the unfortunate event.

A small part of emergency management work also targets the protection of businesses, although there are also disaster recovery companies which specialize in this, on a smaller scale. Emergency management services for businesses target especially those vital businesses that contribute to a country or area’s overall infrastructure, the kind of companies which, if they fail, could also negatively impact the life of the community. In this broad sense, some disaster relief organizations who deal with helping businesses get back on their feet include the UN (United Nations), the WB (World Bank) and even some governmental macro-organizations like the EU (European Union).

Up until that very high level, though, there is a myriad of small and medium level disaster relief organizations, some of them governmental and some of them non-governmental. In many of these, there are professionals working within them (usually at a management level), and there are also plenty of volunteer workers activating as well. A large part of sustenance for these organizations resides in donations from supporters, as well as this large chunk of volunteering work.

Top 10 Disaster Relief Organizations

Now that we covered a bit more about what disaster relief organizations are and the type of work they do, the best way to further this understanding is to present a few of the top organizations. Here are our top choices in this field and why.

1. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute

The Emergency Management Institute from FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is one of the most important institutions in the U.S., when it comes to disaster relief organizations. While FEMA itself is the agency that activates within disaster relief and organized well-coordinated and governmental backed actions, its institute is the one that trains the best experts and professionals in the field. Basically, most of the successful disaster relief organizations in the U.S. are probably being operated by professionals who have been trained at this institute. They are responsible for preparing the absolute pros for saving the day when things take a wrong turn; what could be more impressive than this? Therefore, FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute definitely deserves the first place in our top of disaster relief organizations.

2. The Red Cross

Everyone heard of the Red Cross, and few other disaster relief organizations are probably as widely spread across the world as the Red Cross is. The American Red Cross benefits from both governmental support and a wide presence of volunteers enrolled in its ranks. In addition to disaster relief work, the organization also handles other areas of activity like collecting and distributing blood from donors, educational programs to promote safety and preparedness, support and comfort for military members and their families, etc. international development and training programs for disaster relief work etc.

Considering the large size of the Red Cross, it’s worth noting that there are plenty of volunteering opportunities within it, as well as actual jobs for people who want to get involved with this line of work on the longer run. We will detail this matter more below, in the ‘How to Get Involved’ section.

3. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is one of the disaster relief organizations with a religious background, in this case, a Christian one. Originally founded in the United Kingdom, London, the Salvation Army is highly active in the United States as well, actually being one of the most responsive disaster relief organization in the country. Their fast response times are owed to their large number of members and volunteers, so mobilizing some people to assist with any emergency in almost any area of the country isn’t difficult at all.

4. The Southern Baptist Convention

Another one of the religiously-influenced disaster relief organizations active in the U.S., the Southern Baptist Convention is also distinguished by its large number of members and volunteers, and therefore high responsiveness. One of their special focus areas is the preparation and distribution of food to those in need, so if you do have a penchant for cooking and helping out, maybe check out how you can get involved. They have over 65,000 trained volunteers all over the country, and officially one of the largest disaster relief organizations in the U.S.

5. All Hands Volunteers

A relatively new disaster relief organization, at least when compared to those who can truly be considered historical (like the Red Cross), the All Hands Volunteers (usually known as Hands) surely deserves the 5^th place if only for its enthusiasm and energy alone. Its official tagline is ‘Rebuilding Hope’ and considering their emphasis on helping communities not only recover from disasters but also grow stronger and more self-reliant. If that’s not enough to rekindle hope among those who just took a bad hit from events, we don’t know what is. The All Hands Volunteers organization has completed 62 large projects in its 10 years of activity, with the help of 32,000 volunteers for 94 countries.

6. The Lions Club International

The Lions Club is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world, with active fronts in multiple areas of community help. It’s not really one of the disaster relief organizations per se, for the simple reason that they activate in many other fields other than disaster relief. They also handle environmental programs, international health programs, children and youth programs, and international relations programs and so on. Their disaster relief organizations are mostly focused on natural disasters, and they are also distinguished for their Foundation which offers other disaster relief organizations grants and funds (over 50 million dollars granted so far).

7. Citizen Corps

The Citizen Corps organization is actually a national program developed by the Department of Homeland Security. It’s one of the disaster relief organizations that most emphasize the importance of citizen participation for preparedness and intervention in bad events. It handles intervention and disaster relief with major citizen volunteer participation, but it also runs plenty of training programs for preparedness, intervention frames and tools, survival and rebuilding etc.

8. UNICEF

You may know of UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund) as mainly an international organizations that raises funds for kids and helps them, but you may have missed out on the ‘emergency’ part. That means that while many of the organization’s programs are indeed meant to tackle non-emergency issues like literacy of abuse prevention programs, study grants and so on, there is another large part of their activity that targets emergency management. In case of disaster strikes, UNICEF intervenes to help the kids but also the families and the communities of those kids, which makes UNICEF one of the leading international disaster relief organizations.

9. The American Radio Relay League

Among all disaster relief organizations active in the U.S., the ARRL is probably the most useful in case of major disasters. It employs radio operating volunteers that can help people not only ask for the assistance they need, but also to coordinate better for all sorts of community interventions. Considering that we live in a world more and more connected to emergencies and that radio broadcasts can be accessed on any type of device currently in use, from radios to smartphones and computers and even walkie-talkies.

10. The BGCO Disaster Relief

The BGC Oklahoma is one of the most nationally active Baptist disaster relief organizations. Whatever the most recent national emergency, the BGCO volunteers successfully handle the aftermath and get involved in order to restore people’s livelihoods to the state of before. The recent Louisiana floods, for example, have received the intervention of BGCO teams equipped for getting mud out of homes, as well as volunteers who handed out supplies and food to the affected communities.

How to Get Involved

If you’re tempted to lend your spare time and energy to a good cause every now and then, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. You can first do a search for disaster relief organizations in your local area if you want to bolster the emergency management responsiveness of your own community, or look up the big players in this field in order to contribute to something greater. Both approaches are fine and admirable: one makes your own community less reliant on outside help should anything go amiss, while the second one gives you the opportunity of really making an impact.

For the second path, there are lists of major disaster relief organizations who could use every volunteer help they can get. Feel free to browse through this list or this list and make your decision based on the types of causes or activities they support, as well as by the local area in which they mainly run their activities. Also, don’t forget to honestly think about your main skills and what you could truly help with best: perhaps you could make a better trainer than an actual doer, if you’re good at teaching but not in the best physical form, for example. Or the other way around, you’ll figure it out. If you need help with that, the counsellors from the disaster relief organizations you can contact will also be more than happy to describe in greater detail the type of skills they need.

How to Get Help

For the unfortunate situation in which you will be affected by a disaster event, you can get prepared to be able to cope a little better and recover more quickly. This is what you can do in order to be better equipped for facing a disastrous event, or in order to get help to come to you faster.

First of all, you can get trained in preparedness before anything bad happens. Most disaster relief organizations offer courses and seminars on preparedness, including anything from basic medical care from survival lessons. There are even government-backed preparedness lessons for children, too, so the earlier one starts, the better.

Second of all, you will of course still require help from the authorities and whatever disaster relief organizations can reach the area you are in. In order to get help, beyond calling 911, take a look at the governmental Disaster Assistance portal and see how you can apply for receiving humanitarian assistance. You will be surprised of how people can pull through and help people in need, as well as to teach them to help themselves. Good luck, and hopefully you will never really need this info, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.