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Disaster Response and Crisis Preparedness

 

United Ways of Texas (UWT) has had a very busy 2008 with one of the most active hurricane seasons in recent years. As a member of the Texas VOAD, UWT was tasked with several roles throughout the hurricane season, including statewide volunteer coordination. UWT maintained a presence at the State Operations Center throughout the hurricane season and worked with statewide partners to coordinate efforts to bring quick and efficient response and relief strategies to Texas communities.

United Ways of Texas' involvement with other statewide disaster response and crisis preparedness organizations is important to its members who rely on the integrity and timeliness of urgent information related to the state of resources needed to respond and support their individual communities during times of disaster. After Hurricane Ike, UWT set up a Hurricane Ike Recovery Fund to further support its members in impacted areas. To date over $66,000 has been raised and distributed to member communities. 

 

 

Convening Statewide Partners

 

Working with its well-respected and effective partner organizations, United Ways of Texas is well positioned, more so than any other organization at the state level, to convene key partners and other entities in order to create and advance solutions in the long-term recovery arena, most especially in the Gulf Coast area. 

UWT has taken the first steps by regularly convening a group of state agencies, nonprofits and government entities relevant to disaster work. The group has met several times and discussed issues such as disaster preparedness, volunteer liability policies, etc. Extensive time has been spent in laying the fundamental groundwork critical to the long-term success of any crisis response initiative, including identifying those organizations actively working in this area, and making direct contact with representatives of such organizations.  These groups include, but are not limited to, the:

  •  Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response 
  •  American Red Cross of Central Texas
  •  Salvation Army Katrina AID Today
  •  Numerous faith-based organizations
  •  Various key state agencies such as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) 
  •  Church World Service 

 

One of the most successful and innovative components to date of the UWT crisis response/long-term state recovery initiative has been getting key players together for the first time in collaboration with representatives of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS).  On September 28, 2007 nearly 50 representatives in total from the following organizations joined together in Austin, Texas to hear from top state agency officials:

  •  American Red Cross of Central Texas
  •  Catholic Charities Central Texas
  •  Church World Service
  •  Corporation for National and Community Service
  •  FEMA
  •  Lutheran Disaster Relief
  •  National Association of Social Workers – Texas Chapter
  •  OneStar Foundation
  •  Salvation Army Katrina AID Today
  •  Texas Association of Volunteer Centers
  •  Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission
  •  Texas Baptist Men
  •  Texas Conference of Churches
  •  Texas Housing Foundation/Community Resource Centers of Texas, Inc.
  •  Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response
  •  Texas VOAD
  •  United Methodist Committee on Relief – Southwest Texas Conference