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A very interesting article on gas, the economy, and philanthropy. How will the changing economic times effect Maine’s volunteer sector? Check it out.

Charities Crushed Under Soaring Demand
They are serving more and more needy people while donations dry up
By Bret Schulte

Guest Post by Mimi Mills

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three part series about Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SMCOAD). Part I focused on the mission and history of SMCOAD. Part II focused on the successes of SMCOAD, as well as lessons learned. Part III discusses how to get involved.

Start with just one of these suggestions to get prepared and get involved in SMCOAD!

Individual
• Volunteer! – register as an emergency volunteer at www.VolunteerMaine.org
• Attend a training to be a prepared volunteer.
• Share preparedness information with your family and neighbors
• Ask about the emergency plan at your child’s school or family member’s nursing home.
• Develop a family disaster kit and emergency plan. Remember, the first 72 (hours) are up to you!
• For information on developing a family emergency plan, go to: www.redcross.org or www.ready.gov.

Workplace
• Join a COAD group
• Start a call list for your organization.
• Network with other organizations in your area and in your field.
• Work with others in your organization to develop an internal emergency plan. For information and checklists, go to: www.redcross.org or www.ready.gov.
• Encourage employees to prepare their families and have back-up plans in place.

Community
• Learn what the needs are in the community and how your organization could help. (Can you offer meeting space? case management? food preparation/ delivery? emergency funding? generators? etc.)
• Participate in community emergency exercises.
• Start a COAD.
• Assist with community planning and response.

For Your Information:

SMCOAD meets every other month in various locations throughout York and Cumberland Counties. For more information contact:

York County:
Mimi Mills, Director of Volunteer! York County
United Way of York County

Mimi Mills has been Director of Volunteer! York County at the United Way of York County since May 2006.

Guest Blog by Mimi Mills

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three part series about Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SMCOAD). Part I focused on the mission and history of SMCOAD. Part II focuses on the successes of SMCOAD, as well as lessons learned. Part III discusses how to get involved.

SMCOAD, Two years later:

Successes:

SMCOAD is a viable, collaborative and highly function network that now supports County systems during times of disaster or emergency. 211Maine is the source to receive, refer and record all disaster related calls for both immediate help from volunteers and long term help in meeting essential unmet needs.

• • Hundred’s of individuals and families have been helped that otherwise would not have received help and perhaps may never had recovered.
• • SMCOAD network covers both York and Cumberland Counties.
• • SMCOAD supports another viable network, Long Term Disaster Recovery Committee (LTDR) that serves three counties, York Cumberland and Oxford.
• • United Way’s of York County and Greater Portland, SMCOAD partners, are in agreement with York County Emergency Management to provide a Volunteer Reception Center to recruit, screen and deploy “unaffiliated” disaster volunteers.
• • SMCOAD received grant funding from Maine Commission for Community Service to sustain SMCOAD activities and share this experience through a state-wide Americorp/VISTA grant.
• • SMCOAD article and manual in final draft. This work can be shared with others that wish to start a COAD in their town or region.
• • SMCOAD received national recognition for Project TAHS, Technical Assistance in Homeland Security.

Lessons Learned:

• • Networks make a lot of sense. They build capacity, they are a great source of information and a community can achieve more by working together.
• • Network partners trust each other and can be more creative as they understand that “give and take” is essential to any good network.
• • Networks take time. It is often difficult for potential partners to know how they may serve or benefit from a network.
• Network resources vary from time to time and event to event. It is a challenge to maintain a log of available resources.
• Networks should be dynamic, with many sources but also be comfortable with some uncertainty and changes.
• Finding leadership and a home for this network has been a challenge.

Guest Blog by Mimi Mills

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three part series about Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SMCOAD). Part I focuses on the mission and history of SMCOAD. Part II focuses on the successes of SMCOAD, as well as lessons learned. Part III discusses how to get involved.

As a result of the major flooding in northern Maine this spring, many organizations have expressed interest in Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SMCOAD). They want to know how they can prepare, respond, join or start a COAD in their community. These folks are more and more convinced that, as a community, they do need to have a viable and trusted network to address issues and are looking to SMCOAD for answers. SMCOAD advocates that community wide preparedness and participation is essential to a community’s ability to recover from a disaster.

What is Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster?

SMCOAD is a collaborative of community organizations or individuals representing businesses, organizations, agencies, schools, municipalities, and clubs that recognize the importance of being organized and able to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster. SMCOAD is not a “first responder” entity but SMCOAD does work in partnership with County and local Emergency Management Agencies. SMCOAD is a collective group of community organizations and individuals working together to help minimize the effects of an emergency or disaster on their local community.

SMCOAD has four primary objectives:

• To establish relationships and create trusted networks.

• To promote workplace, family and volunteer preparedness.

• Map the SMCOAD network; manpower (volunteermaine.org), materials (who have what & where) and money/ resources.

• Support Volunteer Reception Center and Long Term Recovery Committees

A Brief History of SMCOAD:

The SMCOAD began shortly following the Mother’s Day Flood in York County in 2006. Immediately after the flood, emergency response systems were activated and people were removed from harm’s way. First responders worked together to serve those in need. As first response subsided and recovery and long term needs became the priority, it was immediately apparent there was not a solid system in place to support the essential needs of those affected by the floods. Pre-planning and networking would have helped recovery efforts run more smoothly with more defined roles and resources. Volunteer networks with their abundant human and administrative resources as well as corporate/community networks are well positioned to organize and respond effectively. The first meeting of SMCOAD was held as a forum, Volunteer Response During Disaster: Preparation, Practice & Action, and served as informational and a call to action. More than 66 people from 45 organizations and businesses attended.

Mimi Mills has been Director of Volunteer! York County at the United Way of York County since May 2006.