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Comments

1. Jonathan "J.C." Cohen says

   October 30, 2014 at 2:22 pm

   Recovery takes a lot longer than the television news cycle gives to the event. After spending a short period of time running in disaster relief circles post-Hurricane Katrina, and then years after witnessing the experience of the New Orleans and Southern Mississippi communities, I learned similar lessons. The organized Jewish community writ large could be a tremendous benefit to the long-term disaster recovery process, not necessarily in the days after, but especially in the months and years after.

2. Beth Steinhorn says

   October 30, 2014 at 4:47 pm

   Thanks, Samantha, for a thoughtful article on the challenges of balancing the immediate interest of volunteers to help with the long term needs of communities hit by disasters. Organizations that are truly prepared for disasters are those that have in place plans to leverage the large numbers of “SUVs” (Spontaneous Un-invited Volunteers) by educating them, gathering their contact information, and keeping them connected to opportunities to help and make a difference over the long term. While only a subset of those original volunteers may actually stay involved, those that do remain connected can make a tangible difference in the community while also serving as advocates for the long-term recovery needs, engaging others in the work along the way. For an organization to truly be prepared, it means finding ways to say, “not now” rather than “no” and having the infrastructure in place (technology, messages, learning opportunities, etc.) to help keep those SUVs connected to your organization and its cause for years to come.
   Thanks again for your insights into the challenges of disaster-related volunteering.