Affiliate Disaster Response

3 days post disaster many things will be established by the immediate community response, homeland security, and county emergency management officials. This information will be shared through social media, websites, and flyers posted in community centers, common meeting places, and the established Volunteer Reception Center. 

* No matter how small any response taken that involves affected survivors and/or volunteers need to be communicated to the Volunteer Reception Center. This is vital information for the community response. 

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Good: ​​

• Follow the Iowa Disaster Recovery Website for up-to-date statuses on County and state assistance

• Communicate with Habitat for Humanity of Iowa and HFHI Disaster Services (USDisasterServices@habitat.org) if disaster has impacted you or you want to be part of the recovery effort in your area. 

• Keep Habitat for Humanity Iowa in the loop of events even if not responding yet. 

• Request grant funding from HFHI Disaster Services (USDisasterServices@habitat.org) if responding or see a place to help

• Begin to gather volunteers to help partner families if needed - Consider editing volunteer waivers to also include hazardous disaster activities

• Direct general volunteers to the established Volunteer Reception Centers (VRC) established by local officials. 

• Fundraising: If Habitat partner families are affected or Habitat is responding call Habitat Iowa to set up a phone call. 

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Better: 

• Decide whether or not to engage and offer assistance to staff- Work with Board

• Decide whether or not to engage and offer assistance to Habitat Homeowners -Work with Board

  • Join the volunteer efforts through the established Volunteer Reception Centers, but let them know you will only be taking on Habitat homes. The data and volunteer needs must be communicated with the VRC. ​

• Decide whether or not to engage and offer assistance to community at large. - Work with Board

  • Join the volunteer efforts through established programs like the Volunteer Reception Center. This helps keep all efforts coordinated and proper disaster response data collected. ​

• Sign up for Lockton Hazard Insurance - if responding​

• Join Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council calls about your disaster (Habitat Iowa is an established partner)

• Request assistance from the AmeriCorps Mobile Response Team

• Communication: Share out any Iowa disaster resources available to the community

• Communication: Ask for donations if families are directly impacted or plan to be part of the recovery effort

• Fundraising: Sign the Donations Passthrough Agreement with Habitat for Humanity of Iowa. Consider using iowahabitat.org/donate as the main donation pages to encourage more statewide particpation. The money will be passthrough to the local affiliate. 

• If board decides to respond register as a relief org. with Crisis Clean up

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Best: 

• Join local disaster response meetings created after disaster

• If board decides to join community response: Join the Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) formally and lead volunteers in the community

• Become familiar with Crisis Clean up database and complete the brief Crisis Clean Up training. 

• Read through "Crisis Communication in a Disaster" from my.habitat.org 

• Request disaster response equipment from Habitat Iowa and Volunteer Iowa  if utilizing large amounts of volunteers