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The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has deployed national service members and staff to the Hurricane Sandy impact regions. Below is a synopsis as of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, January 4, 2013:
- More than 1,700 national service participants have deployed in response to Hurricane Sandy.
- Currently, 237 national service members are on the ground providing volunteer reception administration and support, mucking and gutting, and debris removal services.
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Member Highlight
In an interview with a Fox affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri, AmeriCorps NCCC member Katherine Wiley shares her experiences on the front lines of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in storm-ravaged New York.
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CONNECTICUT
Currently more than 62 national service members are supporting response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy in Connecticut. Overall, more than 110 national service members have responded to support disaster response and recovery operations from the following programs:
- American Red Cross of Greater Columbus
- Teach for America
- RSVP
- Waterbury AmeriCorps
- Northwestern Connecticut Area Health Education AmeriCorps
- Health Service Corps
- Public Ally
- United Way of Southeastern Connecticut AmeriCorps
- Bridgeport Foster Grandparent
- AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps
The CNCS CT State Office distributed a list of Red Cross volunteer needs to AmeriCorps VISTA members in response to offers of assistance from VISTAs and in response to requests for help from the Red Cross. CT AmeriCorps Alums is also distributing volunteer opportunities to its network.
Waterbury AmeriCorps
25 members are supporting donations management activities
Northwestern Connecticut Area Health Education AmeriCorps Program
13 members are supporting bulk distribution and feeding operations
MIDDLETOWN AND BETHEL, CT
Health Service Corps and Public Ally
November 1st
24 members are volunteering with the Red Cross at two locations: a bulk distribution center in Middletown and a food distribution site in Bethel.
BRIDGEPORT, CT
Bridgeport Foster Grandparent Program
October 31st
Bridgeport Foster Grandparent Program has identified resources on counseling children impacted by disaster so the Foster Grandparents can be prepared to meet the needs of the children they tutor when the children return to school.
MARYLAND
BALTIMORE, MD
AmeriCorps Together We Prepare Program
October 28th
9 members have deployed to support the American Red Cross with shelter operations, mass care, and Emergency Vehicle Response operations.
NEW JERSEY
Currently more than 26 national service members are supporting response and recovery efforts, with more than 114 members expected to deploy the month of January. Overall, more than 663 national service members have responded to support disaster response and recovery operations from the following programs:
- American Red Cross of Greater Columbus
- AmeriCorps Together We Prepare
- Washington Service Corps
- College of New Jersey VISTA Program
- New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Violence AmeriCorps
- AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps
Southwest Conservation Corps
December 10th
6 members have deployed to support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment.
NEW Hoopa Tribal Community Conservation Corps
November 30th
9 members have deployed to support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment.
NEW Washington Conservation Corps
November 19th
24 members have deployed to set up and support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment.
NEW AmeriCorps NCCC Southwest Region
December 22nd
13 members have deployed to support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment.
NEW AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region
January 7th
50 members will deploy to support Bergen County VOAD and Jersey Cares with volunteer leadership in mucking, gutting and debris removal activities.
NEW Utah Conservation Corps
January 7th
12 members will deploy to support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment
NEW Southwest Conservation Corps
January 14th
12 members will deploy to support Volunteer Reception Centers under FEMA Mission Assignment
NEW YORK
Currently more than 58 national service members are currently supporting response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy in New York, over 200 are projected to be on the ground by the end of January. Overall, more than 900 national service members in New York have responded to support disaster response and recovery operations from the following programs:
- American Red Cross of Greater Columbus
- RSVP of Westchester
- Massachusetts Service Alliance, Barnstable County AmeriCorps
- Washington Service Corps
- AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps
NEW AmeriCorps NCCC- Pacific Region
January 8th
50 members will deploy to support volunteer reception centers under FEMA Mission Assignment
NEW Southwest Conservation Corps
January 22nd
15 members will deploy to support volunteer reception centers under FEMA Mission Assignment
NEW Minnesota and Iowa Conservation Corps
January 2nd
36 members have deployed under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW Washington Conservation Corps
January 8th
18 members have deployed under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW AmeriCorps St. Louis
January 4th
14 members will deploy under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service
January 7th
7 members will deploy under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW St. Bernard Project
December 17th
4 members have deployed under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW YouthBuild
December 17th
35 members have deployed under FEMA Mission Assignment to support volunteer reception centers
NEW Southwest Region NCCC
January 12th
40 members will deploy to support volunteer reception centers under FEMA Mission Assignment
RHODE ISLAND
More than 84 national service members from the following programs have support disaster response and recovery operations since the landfall of Hurricane Sandy:
- Massachusetts Service Alliance
- AmeriCorps VISTA
- Ready to Learn Providence AmeriCorps
- Eastbay Community Action AmeriCorps
WEST VIRGINIA
Council of Southern Mountain RSVP
3 RSVP volunteers are supporting a Volunteer Reception Center
West Virginia’s Promise AmeriCorps VISTA
2 AmeriCorps VISTA members organized a donations drive
CHARLESTON, WV
Washington Service Corps
November 1st
2 members have deployed to support the American Red Cross with feeding operations.
NEW Habitat for Humanity, International Responds to Hurricane Sandy
Habitat for Humanity, International, a CNCS Disaster Response Cooperative Agreement Partner will be engaging local volunteers through mobile response units deployed to neighborhoods in affected areas of New York and New Jersey beginning in mid- December. These units will offer support and services to vulnerable families. Mobile response units will be completely furnished with all construction tools and equipment needed for immediate recovery work such as debris clean up, emergency repairs (mucking out of flooded-damaged homes, sealing of roofs with tarps), and small permanent repairs. In the long term, teams from these mobile units will provide technical expertise and skilled volunteers to assist with repair and reconstruction.
Habitat for Humanity International anticipates kicking off a “Van Day” Dec. 19 and 20 with a high profile media and volunteer work day. Twenty-five vans donated to Habitat for Humanity International by GM will arrive in New York and New Jersey to support the initial clean up and assessment in those hardest hit neighborhoods served by our local affiliates. These “Habitat Mobile Response Units”—fully outfitted with tools by Lowe’s and Bosch, will support more than 150 locally based volunteers. Habitat AmeriCorps crew leaders will help lead those volunteers in the initial clean out and assessment of the identified neighborhoods.
STATE SERVICE COMMISSIONS
Commissions in the region activated for disaster response by reaching out to volunteers, asking them to pre-register to volunteer, and distributing newsletters to volunteers and AmeriCorps State programs informing them on how to be safe and how to volunteer. Commission staff along the Atlantic coast are monitoring the weather, conducting volunteer registration, and managing volunteer requests.
Serve Rhode Island
October 29th
Serve Rhode Island has begun outreach and pre-registering volunteers to support recovery operations on their website.
Serve Rhode Island has deployed volunteers to assist at:
- United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island to assist in collecting damage reports
- RI Department of Health - Volunteer Food Inspectors going out to local restaurants who lost power
- Westerly Emergency Operations Center
- Westerly Chamber of Commerce - working to distribute passes to allow businesses access to their properties past road closures
- Chariho High School - which is opening to provide showers for residents without power
Volunteer New Hampshire
October 29th
Volunteer New Hampshire has been activated as part of the State Emergency Operations Plan to oversee the management of volunteers and donations. Volunteer NH has called on programs including NH Disaster Animal Response Team (DART), Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), National service programs (AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps), and CERT teams to be on standby with volunteer rosters prepared.
NEW DISASTER EVENTS
For information on new disaster events, please visit FEMA’s daily situation report.
RESOURCES
How to Volunteer or Donate to Hurricane Sandy Response Efforts
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) regularly updates volunteer information at the online hub for national service response to Hurricane Sandy: http://www.nationalservice.go/sandy
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) has posted information on how individuals can give their time or resources to those affected by the storm. For more information, please visit: http://www.nvoad.org/help
American Red Cross Disaster Relief - Become an American Red Cross Spontaneous Volunteer by contacting Leslie R. Fletcher, Director of Volunteer Administration, at leslie.fletcher@redcross.org or (215) 405-8558 or (267) 246-4521.
Blood donations are needed not only because of the injuries caused by the powerful storm but also because 100 blood drives on the East Coast have been cancelled in 11 states. All blood types are needed right now. For more information on how to donate, go to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS.
Salvation Army - The Salvation Army recommends having a three-to-five day supply of food and water for each member of your family as well as flashlights, medication and battery powered radios. It's never too early to make sure you (and your neighbors, friends, and family) are prepared for the next snow storm or natural disaster.
Those interested in volunteering should register at www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. Please note that disaster service training is a prerequisite for volunteering in a disaster zone and not all registered volunteers will be called on to serve.
Philabundance – While it’s not guaranteed that your donation will go directly to a Hurricane Sandy victim, the Philadelphia nonprofit is currently facing a critical food shortage. You can donate to the organization at www.philabundance.org.
Jersey Cares - Anyone who wants to volunteer in NJ can call 1-800-JERSEY7.
Visit www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com and/or www.facebook.com/SERVEPhiladelphia on a regular basis for the latest opportunities to support neighbors in need.
Disaster Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990
The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, year-round crisis counseling and support. The Helpline is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, all of whom provide:
- Crisis counseling for those who are in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster
- Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families
- Tips for healthy coping
- Disaster-specific resources and referral information.
If you would like to learn more about how to prepare your family and/or community please visit www.ready.gov.
Our Disaster Services Unit has agency-wide responsibility for coordination of CNCS disaster services activities. The DSU provides expertise, ongoing support, and access to a network of dedicated volunteers. The DSU can be reached at DSU@cns.gov and is staffed by:
Kelly DeGraff, Director of Disaster Services and Senior Advisor to the CEO
Will Chrysanthos, Partnerships and Field Operations Officer
Katrina French, Disaster Services Program Officer
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