Disaster Organizations: Can You Depend On Them?
When a disaster strikes, it has the ability to flip your entire world upside down, and even take those you love from you. After an unforeseen emergency, you may feel as though you have nowhere to turn, especially in the recovery process. But the truth is, you’re never alone. There are people and volunteers out there who are just waiting to be the helping hand that you’re needing. Here’s more information on disaster organizations and whether you can depend on them following a natural disaster.
Disaster Organizations: Can You Depend On Them?
To keep this short and simple. Yes. There are many disaster organizations out there that you can turn to if your area is ever faced with such an event. They could also use your help in the recovery process if you’re willing and able. The only reason that you wouldn’t be able to depend on any one of these following agencies is if something major had happened on a wider scale and they become overwhelmed. Fortunately, the chances of this happening is relatively low.
Natural Disaster Relief Organizations
There are several disaster relief organizations that provide citizens with healing and different types of recovery assistance, depending on your circumstance. Whenever a disaster takes place, these are among the first natural disaster relief organizations to respond that you can turn to.
AmeriCares
Whenever a disaster has struck a particular community, AmeriCares helps to provide medical supplies, along with their own personal assistance to local hospitals and governments. That way more lives can be saved in the process. The organization’s three main objectives regarding a natural disaster are to be ready, respond, and recover. This means that they stay there until that area’s health system is back on track and recovering.
SBP
SBP came about not long after the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Its main purpose was to cut down on the amount of time between the recovery process and the initial disaster. The organization has the help of thousands of AmeriCorps volunteers who work together to rebuild efficient homes for families following a disaster, and do so far below market price for the costs involved.
The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
A disaster is a traumatic event that some people have a much harder time dealing with than most. The NOVA teams have been specially trained to help people who are having a tough time after experiencing a natural disaster, or even a mass shooting.
Earthquake Relief Organizations
UNICEF
UNICEF deals with both domestic and international emergencies. As of lately, they’ve helped victims of earthquakes in places like Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, Haiti, Ecuador, and Mexico. This humanitarian relief organization helps with meeting both short and long-term needs, such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare. They’ll even provide mental counseling for those having a hard time getting back on track.
Flood Relief Organizations
Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon was founded by two marines who saw a huge need in helping families following natural disasters. The organization takes the time to provide veterans with assistance to transition back into civilian life once their service has come to an end. Their team is comprised of a mixture of military veterans, medical professionals, and first responders. Team Rubicon has assisted in over 80 flood-related disasters and responded to situations that most other disaster relief organizations have considered too dangerous.
Faith-Based Disaster Relief Organizations
The Friendly Disaster Service (FDS)
It doesn’t matter what faith, race, or ethnicity you are, The Friendly Disaster Service is there during the clean-up and rebuilding process every step of the way. They especially go out of their way to help the elderly, low-income families, the disabled, and uninsured, following a natural disaster. While they may not have all the building materials or other resources that are needed, they will look to other relief organizations for help to see that your needs are taken care of.
Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian non-denominational organization that provides physical and spiritual aid to victims of natural disaster, famine, poverty, and war. They also have women’s programs, as well as helping to provide construction projects and clean water to certain areas of the globe.
Nechama
Nechama is a Jewish relief organization that provides response and recovery services, including helping people be prepared for any type of natural disaster. They train their volunteers to provide assistance to disaster victims and also how to help with the clean-up process. Whether it’s removing debris, cleaning and sanitizing homes, replacing flooring, or hanging sheetrock, they are there to help.
Children’s Disaster Services
The CDS is there to help children who have dealt with a traumatic experience due to a disaster. They come in and work in shelters and other disaster assistance centers, working with children to find the reassurance and attention that they’re needing.
International Disaster Relief Organizations
There are also many recognizable international relief organizations out there. Some of them you’ve probably already heard of. Here’s just a few of them:
All Hands Volunteers
Just in the last 15 years, All Hands Volunteers have helped over 1.1 million people around the globe. They’ve helped to rebuild infrastructure, schools, and homes, helping those with short and long-term needs.
The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross has been there time and time again to help people and families who have dealt with a natural disaster or other types of humanitarian crisis. They have eased the suffering by providing shelters, food, and clean water, as well as clothing, first aid, medical supplies, home repairs, among many other services. We are all also aware of their blood donation services that save thousands of lives every year.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is one of the most well-known relief organizations in the world. They help to feed starving men, women, and children, along with aiding in search and rescue missions, temporary housing, counseling, and distributing other crucial resources.
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Final Word
Disaster organizations are something that I would strongly recommend you seek out if you don’t know where to turn. These are just a few disaster relief organizations that you can turn to if a major natural disaster sets you and your family back. Can you think of any other organizations that I’ve failed to mention that deserve recognition? I’d love to hear from you. May God Bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Volunteers Deposit photos_172577224_s-2019
Hello Linda, these relief organizations are very good especially Samaritans Purse! FEMA is also a really good disaster org! If people would actually read fema’s website, there is a wealth of information in there that will help with not only prepping but everyday life. Thanks for bringing these important organizations and what they do to light!
God Bless and stay safe…
Hi Bill, oh, I love hearing Samaritans Purse is really good. We don’t all have the opportunity to see ALL the disaster organizations in action. FEMA is also a good one. I tried to share some that people may not have heard of before. Thanks for your kind comment! Linda
They are good. The ARC gets some bad publicity but they’ve helped me and mine several times.
I don’t count on them though. If I go into like a tornado zone to assist I take my own resources aka go bag so I’m one less strain.
You can only count on you and you’ll only have what you have on hand.
Everything else that shows up is just a bonus.
Hi Matt, I don’t count on anyone for my family. I love hearing good comments on ARC because I know they do help a lot of people. But, where we live we have very few disasters. We do have occasional flooding, but if we have an earthquake, or at least a large earthquake could possibly use some help if we survive it. I love your comment, “You can only count on you and you’ll only have what you have on hand”. Everything is a bonus! I love it! Linda
I don’t want to depend on any organization. I try to only depend on me and mine. I’d rather be the helper than the needy.
As for government help. Nope, not gonna happen. This is just me. I’m stubborn and hard headed.
Hi Deborah, this is why we need to be neighbors! We are so much alike! Love you, girlfriend! Linda
Love you too, Linda!
I agree with Matt. While there are many decent organizations out there helping people though localized disasters, it is best to only depend upon yourself. And by being prepared, you are not a drain on scarce resources when others nearby are in need.
Hi Ray, I have to agree with you as well. Thank goodness some of us are self-reliant and only use those resources when absolutely needed. I got you book, I love it! Linda
Having worked through a flood disaster in several NW Indiana towns, we found communities really do come together to assist. United Way organized Non Profits, Businesses, & Volunteers to muck and gut flooded homes. Volunteers came from local Churches and businesses: Home Depot, Wendy’s, Lowes, Target, BP, Arcelor Mittal, several Banks, and local Casinos to name a few. FEMA and the Green Shirts came to register flood survivors.
We have several Universities and Colleges, they also organized groups to come out an assist. We loved the Police, they checked homes for people and pets. They also were there to stop thieves going into damaged homes and more so to catch those coming in to ‘do repairs’ at extremely inflated prices. Flood buckets came for residents from several states through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (who also sent money to our local FoodBank). After the mucky and gutting came the rebuild, this took 3 years and many donations and volunteer hours. United Way matched every dollar donated, which everyone should know monies donated to UW ‘stay’ in their community, not put into a general fund to be distributed wherever. Churches also provided lunches for workers. Wendy’s donated gift cards also for meals for the volunteers. Yes, in a disaster we all need help from others but FIRST, we, our families need to ‘be prepared’ & to practice self reliance, so we not only take care of ourselves but then have the freedom and resources to help others.
Hi Chris, I totally agree we need to practice self-reliance for ourselves and then to help others when needed. There are so many organizations that I felt strongly they needed a shout-out, thank you for adding the ones above. It’s nice to know there really is good in the world today. The news shows the negative as well as social media. Some days I do not turn the news and I scroll really fast past rude or mean items on social media. Life is good! Linda
I’ve not always heard good things about the Red Cross, i.e., money/financial aspects. However, when the TCID canal breached in Fernley, NV in 2008, Red Cross was immediately there helping all those hundreds of people flooded out of their homes. I did hear a “rumor” that they were charging people for the meals they were making/serving but I never verified that. Luckily, here in Reno/Sparks area, we have very few disasters; occasional flooding from the Truckee River and massive amounts of snow, although the latter hasn’t happened in a very long time. We’ve always been prepared unless we’re displaced from our home. I don’t worry too much because we are prepared. I do, whenever possible, make extra monthly donations to disaster relief on our tithing forms. I honestly belief that the LDS church does the best at distributing assistance in all forms to all walks of life. I feel they’re definitely safe! ;o)
Hi Robbie, I’m glad you are in somewhat of a very safe area. We get flooding sometimes as well. Or fires. I see bottles of water and bags or boxes of food handed out to people on TV, luckily I have never needed it. Great comment, Linda
I have got some good information from CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) which I believe is at the local level. I am looking into joining our local organization but need to learn more. FEMA has a lot of good info but in a real, REAL SHTF scenario I don’t trust the government or FEMA. Thanks for this site Linda.
Tom, I agree with you on FEMA. When my sister was flooded out by a hurricane on the Texas Coast, FEMA didn’t help at all. Maybe it was because it was on thenTexas Coast. I don’t know.
Hi Tom, thank you for your kind words. It’s so funny Tom, Mark, and I tried to get more neighbors to do the CERT course with us. We could only get 3 other people to do it. It’s really interesting, we’re not EMTs by any means, but we learned a lot of things. The three things I liked the most was walking into a large school auditorium, PITCH BLACK. They had staged it with “injured people”. We had to be ready to help the injured people with only a headlamp to see in the dark. We had to haul our “medic bag” and use it. The second was learning how to put out a real fire with a (staged) fire with the heaviest fire hose EVER. The third was a doctor who came to talk about the mental issues we could encounter. I highly recommend it. We must take care of ourselves. I won’t trust others either. We are self-reliant. Linda
Linda, that sounds like a really cool experience!
Hi Amy, It really was! I wish more people would take the classes because it teaches you so many skills. They even have yearly classes to learn more. I loved it! Linda
thing to remember about relief & disaster organizations – whether the FED FEMA or a private org like the Red Cross – they haven’t been challenged by the size and the scope of a major nationwide SHTF across the length & breadth of a populated country like the US …
even a world war like the Red Cross has participated in twice wouldn’t begin to compare – FEMA has only responded to regional disasters that are geographical small compared the whole country – and it usually has days of prior roll up due to forecasted predictions – and lastly the peacetime military has resources available to assist ….
always continue to prep – includes the post-SHTF period – take what the organizations will be providing (no entanglement situations only) >> but prep like there’s no tomorrow and there’s no help coming ….
Hi Illini, I always love your comments because they are so real!! Your last sentence is the very best: “prep like there’s no tomorrow and there’s no help coming…!” You nailed it as always! Depend on yourself and yourself alone. Linda
A group that helps out a lot in disasters is the Southern Baptist. They have a response team that trains to
help out when something happens. I was going to sign up to be trained and to help but then my knees went bad
and I can’t stand for very long so I am no help.
During the Flood of 93 it seemed like everyone helped out in our area. My sister worked for a Insurance
Company at that time and they paid their people to go to our little town just down the hill from us, to sandbag
then after it was finally over, they paid their employees to go down and help clean up the town. University kids
helped out. I was told of one person who started from a town up in northern Missouri and worked their way down
to us. They stopped at every fast food place and got donations. I think they had a car full by the time they got to
Hartsburg. So not only the people who were out of their homes but the Volunteers all got to eat, not mention the people from all around our area took food down. I think we have a good community that will help others if they can.
But it is good to know of other groups that can and will help out too.
Hi June, I have heard really good things about the Southern Baptists! I see them on the news helping before most other groups. What A blessing. I love hearing about communities pulling together to help one another. There are good people in the world, thanks for sharing. I love it! Linda