Be a Part of Something Bigger. Inspire Others.

There are many ways to be a preparedness example for family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. You can give blood, take a basic first aid course and invite others to join you. You are the help until help arrives. Or you can simply share what you've learned about personal and family preparedness and find ways to involve others in the preparations.

The response to an emergency begins at the local level so it makes sense for you to begin your search for ways to inspire others locally too:

• Volunteer to support disaster efforts in your community. Get trained and volunteer with a Community Emergency Response Team, Medical Reserve Corps unit and/or other Citizen Corps Partner Program or Affiliate organization. Many local faith-based and community organizations have programs active in supporting disasters too.
• Be part of the community planning process. Connect and collaborate with your local emergency planning group, Citizen Corps Council or local emergency management agency.
• Join or start a preparedness project. Find an event or identify local resources, build a team, choose a project, set goals and serve your community by improving the preparedness of your friends, colleagues and neighbors.
• When asked to do so, make cash and/or in-kind donations to reputable disaster relief organizations.
  

If you would like to help with larger response & recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey:

To donate or volunteer, contact the voluntary or charitable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disasters (NVOAD). For those who wish to help survivors in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Florida, and other impacted states, cash donations offer voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. For more information about Hurricane Irma, go to https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-irma. For more information about Hurricane Harvey, go to https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4332. 

In Florida, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FEDM) is coordinating with volunteer organizations across the state and partnering with the American Red Cross to provide shelter operations training to volunteers and AmeriCorps grantees. To volunteer, go to www.volunteerflorida.org or call 1-800-FL-Help-1. 

In Texas, to register as an affiliated volunteer with a voluntary or charitable organization, visit the National VOAD or Texas VOAD for a list of partners active in disaster. Alternatively, you may register your interest to volunteer here for partner organizations to reach out to you. Continue monitoring traditional and social media channels, including www.volunteertx.org for the latest information. You may make a financial donation to a Texas VOAD Member or a National VOAD Member to help voluntary or charitable organizations continue to provide services to those affected by Hurricane Harvey.