ANDOVER, Mass. -- Volunteers from many faiths, community-based charities and non-profit organizations demonstrate their devotion to helping others on a daily basis. In times of extraordinary need, such as the recent severe flooding, they somehow manage to do even more.
Some volunteers who began working at the beginning of the March storms are still active today, helping affected individuals continue to try to put their lives back in order. New groups of volunteers continue to arrive each week to assist with the ongoing disaster recovery effort.
How can you find out what additional help is available, not just now but year-round?
In Massachusetts, call 2-1-1. This public service resource, created by the Council of Massachusetts United Ways (COMUW) makes it easy to access specific help for particular needs, whether medical, home repair, food, elder care, etc. Responders at 2-1-1 are knowledgeable specialists who are in touch with a wide range of partner organizations. They will know which group can best help you.
In the first six weeks of the disaster, 4,268 disaster-related calls have been answered by the 2-1-1 system. Many of these calls are from older people with difficult health issues who have no one to help them with cleaning up mold, trees that threaten to fall on their home, or other tasks that require strength and specialized skills. Fortunately, there are volunteer groups that can tackle these jobs with expertise and sensitivity to the homeowner’s situation.
What groups does 2-1-1 refer people to in order to help people whose lives are disrupted?
The good news is that local, state and federal governments and volunteers are linked together in a long-term effort to help citizens, no matter what disaster may strike. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are two readily identifiable government agencies that provide assistance to survivors. Alongside them work volunteers, from near and far, who tirelessly and unselfishly help their neighbors to overcome the problems, big and small, that a disaster brings.
Besides the specialists who gather in an affected area once a presidential declaration is made, there are MEMA and FEMA permanent staff already in place year-round who work full-time to prepare for any eventuality. Their goal is to serve the community in all phases of any disaster:
- Response - marshalling volunteers, encouraging individual and family preparedness, and engaging with specific groups in emergency management activities, in partnership with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Conference, the United Way and others that provide temporary shelter, food, communications and all else that is needed immediately when any type of disaster strikes;
- Recovery - ensuring that individuals return to a life and livelihood that is as safe, productive and enjoyable as possible; considering the circumstances, this may take a very long time and involve help of many kinds. This effort is assisted by the Massachusetts Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (MAVOAD), which can bring in extra help to aid the faith-based and community-based organizations which are in close touch with people who are in need;
- Preparedness - looking ahead before disaster strikes by mentoring and cataloging each partner agency’s capabilities, strengths, location, and leadership. This relationship is built upon a foundation of proactive engagement with volunteer organizations that can mobilize their networks to build community resilience and support local emergency management needs.
What federal assistance is available for Bay Staters for this disaster?
For individuals living in the declared disaster area who were affected by the floods of March, r...