Volunteer groups are on the front line of any disaster response. National groups such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army roster maintain local chapters of volunteers who are trained in emergency response. These organizations work with local, state, and federal authorities to address the immediate needs of disaster victims. These organizations provide shelter, food, and clothing to disaster victims who have lost their homes to disasters large and small.
In addition to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, numerous volunteer groups across the country provide aid and comfort to disaster victims. The National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) consists of 34 national member organiza- tions, 52 state and territorial VOADs, and a growing number of local VOADs involved in disaster response and recovery operations around the country and abroad. Formed in 1970, NVOAD helps member groups at a disaster location coordinate and communicate to provide the most efficient and effective response. A list of the NVOAD member orga- nizations is provided on pp. 109–110.
Hurricane Katrina changed the landscape in terms of the involvement of volun- tary agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector in disaster response. The size of Katrina required resources and capabilities beyond the usual govern- ment programs. The massive evacuation in advance of the hurricane created an extraordinary demand for shelters, medicine, food, and temporary housing. NGOs and the private sector provided many of the support services to help Katrina victims to get back on their feet. Over 5,000 children were separated from their parents in the evacuations, and the NGO National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped successfully reunite every one of these chil- dren with their families. The private sector helped raise over $1 billion for the response and supported a number of activities not covered by government relief programs. For example, Chevron worked with the Early Childhood Institute at Mississippi State University and Save the Children to rebuild and resupply child care centers across the three Mississippi coastal counties. A list of the many NGOs that joined the NVOAD members in responding to Katrina and details on the donations made by the private sector to the response are included in Katrina: A Case Study.
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List of NVOAD Member Organizations Adventist Community Services American Baptist Men USA American Disaster Reserve American Radio Relay League American Red Cross
America’s Second Harvest
Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team Catholic Charities USA
Center for International Disaster Information Christian Disaster Response
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee Church of the Brethren Emergency Response Church World Service
Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Convoy of Hope
Disaster Psychiatry Outreach Episcopal Relief and Development Feed the Children
Friends Disaster Service
Hope Coalition America (Operation Hope) Humane Society of the United States International Aid
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) International Relief and Development, Inc. (IRD) International Relief Friendship Foundation Lutheran Disaster Response
Mennonite Disaster Services Mercy Medical Airlift
National Association of Jewish Chaplains National Emergency Response Team
National Organization for Victim Assistance Nazarene Disaster Response
Operation Blessing
Northwest Medical Teams International The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
Points of Light Foundation and National Volunteer Center Network The Presbyterian Church (USA)
REACT International Samaritan’s Purse Save the Children
Society of St. Vincent De Paul
Southern Baptist Convention The Salvation Army
Tzu Chi Foundation United Church of Christ United Jewish Communities
United Methodist Committee on Relief United Way of America
Volunteers of America World Vision
Source: National Volunteer Organizations Active In Disasters.
German Salvationists Provide Aid to Flood Victims
August 15, 2002. Salvationists in Dresden, Germany, have been working tirelessly to help people affected by the flooding that has brought chaos to the city and much of the surrounding area. The River Elbe is already at its highest point since the mid- nineteenth century and water levels are still rising. More than 3,000 people have so far been forced to evacuate their homes.
When the flooding started, Salvationists from the Salvation Army center in Dresden immediately offered support to the emergency workers, as no official sup- plies were then being provided to fire and ambulance personnel. However, the main focus of attention quickly shifted to the victims of the flooding.
The Salvation Army Corps (church) building in Dresden is located on high ground and, unlike many buildings in the city, still has power, so cooking and food prepara- tion are possible. More than 2,000 meals have been provided so far. Local hotels and a bakery are assisting with preparation and two Salvation Army mobile kitchens are being used to deliver food.
There is great concern for the many elderly people who are unable to leave their properties but who now have no power for cooking or heating. In addition to providing hot soup, consideration is being given to assisting these elderly people to find alternative, temporary accommodation. Many offers of help have come in, including from a nurse who put herself forward to provide assistance after the hospital she was working in was evacuated.
Donations of clothing and supplies, up to now, have had to be turned down because of a lack of storage space. The Salvation Army’s International Emergency