Lessons Learned: Latest version

[Minda Aguhob]

Best Practices Document (for independent volunteer groups)


Minda Aguhob, Ed.M.

1. Do some research on your intended relief project. 

Don't be underwhelmed - or overwhelmed - by a situation you were not ready for.

Ask: What needs have already been met? What unmet needs may be too much for an individual or small group? 

• There are an array of web sites, esp. Occupy Sandy, Rockaway Relief FB page that will give you ideas. 

• Check NY1 and other news channels for the latest! Keep that radio on while driving.

• Speak with your local officials and coordinate with their efforts if possible. 

• You also might take some of these sources with a grain of salt - be ready to see new needs, and anticipate them if you can.

2. Don't do it alone. Go out with a minimum of 2 or 3 people, to deal with both tasks (such as driving) and communication. Don't try and multitask on your own. Learn about larger groups with whom you can work effectively, and coordinate. Be willing to share leadership. Cooperate.

State your intentions to your communities. Use social media, like the Sandy Relief google group, as well as to web sites for Occupy Sandy, other organizations, and your own communities. 

3. Prepare your project as well as in advance as possible. If you must take a few more hours to coordinate your plan and people, it is time well worth taken. Because if you do it in a rushed manner, and have issues, you may cause more problems that you are solving. 

Be mindful. Have a Plan B. and Plan C.  

4. Don't just plan to bring donations - consider how to distribute. Also wherever you're going, consider special challenges for distribution of donations. For example, I was climbing 40 flights of stairs with 2 other ppl a few days ago, downtown. Plan to look for those needs." 

• It's helpful to bring a map, plus pre-printed lists of, for example, donation sites and alternative sites to distribute donations, because the circumstances are constantly shifting. (That's the nature of this work!)

5. Be well-equipped yourself. Consider wearing layers, heavy duty boots, preferably construction, heavy gloves for clean up and to avoid contamination plus protection for eyes against wind, glass, and debris. An antibacterial product would is a good idea.

6. Be flexible and mindful; EXPECT new issues. Be ready to consider the immediate needs, including gas needs, how people will get home if driven in. Also be mindful of needs for leadership and organization.

For example: You may find the donation centers have few staff and little plan to distribute to people.Take the initiative to figure out how to canvass door to door, if you have many able bodied friends who can go on foot. What neighborhoods have needs? Recruit from willing people in the community too. They want to help!

7. Gather infomation for special needs. See above example. And when canvassing, take note of disabled and elderly, special needs individuals. Suggest they put signs on their doors, and document their needs and addresses. You can provide these to other canvassers, fire station, your organizers.

8. Have an internal communication "hub." It is helpful to have one person in charge of communicating with, for example, volunteers and leaders coming in and out of a donation area. It also helpful to have friends who are not at the project, but who are by a computer and phone, to help communicate, on news flashes, for instance, and do research. Be ready to pass this position on to someone else, when needed. On the ground - connect to local leaders who are already doing work: get contact information for future projects, as a list of this info can be passed on to other friends and groups who want to help.

9. Defer to local leaders. Realize that in disaster situations, it is normal for there to be chaos and lack of clear leadership. Do your best. If coming from another neighborhood, be mindful you are serving a local community, and are a visitor. Be willing to coordinate and collaborate. If there are issues, always begin with "Thank you!"

10. Provide information to empower the community. For example, educate residents on steps to restoring electricity (like registration in Rapid Repair; inspection; then restoration), while letting authorities provide official notices about electrical outages and the like. Use a multimodal approach: flyers at community centers, door to door communication, megaphone; use of ERS (emergency response system) to notify mobile phones; etc.

Other Disaster Best Practices brochures:

• Providing assistance through charitable organizations” (IRS)
Using, establishing a charitable organization to provide help to disaster victims http://www.ncg.org/s_ncg/assets/dpri/IRSDisasterRelief.pdf
  
• Best Practices and Case Studies on Disaster Management: The Maharashtra Experience (Govt of Maharashtra) Disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation http://www.preventionweb.net/files/17397_maharashtraexperience.pdf