Starting as a
volunteer and then working my way through the disaster
space has given me a unique perspective on what we do and how we do it. I write
about my points of view, resources, trends, and ideas on different ways to
approach the problems we face as practitioner’s working on behalf of
community’s preparing for and responding to disaster. I also write about issues
impacting nonprofits, information communications technology, Emergency Management, and anything else
that I find interesting and relevant.
My opinions are
my own but they’re informed by what I see, read, do, and experience. You’ll
notice a lot of links embedded in my posts, this is my way of giving credit
where it’s due. While I’d like to think of myself as the originator of all
the ideas on this blog, I’m smart enough to know that I’m not that
smart,
I started strong posting regularly for about a year and half and then I got to a place where I felt like I was beginning to repeat myself...so I took a step back. Having amassed new experiences and gained different perspectives I plan on posting again...but it's going to be at a more leisurely pace.
As always, you can be sure you don't miss a post by subscribing to mymy RSS feed, email sign up, or follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas, or criticisms, or would like to get a hold of me about:
As always, you can be sure you don't miss a post by subscribing to mymy RSS feed, email sign up, or follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas, or criticisms, or would like to get a hold of me about:
- Project / Consulting Opportunities
- Guest Postings
- Speaking / Presentation Opportunities
- To tell me how this blog has changed your life
My Top Posts
If you’re a first
time visitor to this land of enchantment, below is a listing of the 5 most
popular posts to date to give you an idea of what happens here.
More on Me
After graduating
from College I moved to New York City and worked at an ad agency for a few years. It was during my time in NYC that Hurricane Katrina roared
through the Gulf and captured the attention of the nation. I donated money to
the Red Cross and felt pretty good about myself; what changed was
that in the weeks following my donation, I kept seeing videos of communities that were wiped off the map, of places where the storm looked as if
it could’ve blown through the day before. With zero understanding of how
response and recovery worked I was astounded that more hadn’t happened in those
initial weeks to help those impacted. It wasn’t until Anderson Cooper’s famed indictment of
the governments response that it all clicked for me. Things weren’t ok, and
there was much more that I could and should
do, so I decided I was going to volunteer. In researching how I could make that happen: The Red Cross told
me that I needed training, I never heard back from
the Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity told me I could be placed on a wait list. I didn’t
understand, how could the news show images of devastation and recount stories of the overwhelming
needs and yet I be told that there wasn't a place for me and my desire to help?
Frustrated, I tabled the idea until I read a blog that changed my
life. This blog talked about an organization that didn’t require training, didn’t cost any money, and you could stay for as long as you
wanted, in return volunteers were expected to work 6 days a week in
a community with need - I booked my tickets that morning.
That initial experience and every one since then has helped to evolve my thinking on the myriad issues affecting the world of Disaster and Emergency Management--hence this blog. However, even as my roles and responsibilities change, I continue to be a passionate believer in the power of volunteers and continue to strongly advocate for empowering communities in charting their own course for recovery. While I'm no longer a full-time resident of church basements, converted restaurant spaces, or Knights of Columbus Halls, my determination to champion the equitable integration of volunteers into the growing response framework remains strong.
Thanks for reading...
That initial experience and every one since then has helped to evolve my thinking on the myriad issues affecting the world of Disaster and Emergency Management--hence this blog. However, even as my roles and responsibilities change, I continue to be a passionate believer in the power of volunteers and continue to strongly advocate for empowering communities in charting their own course for recovery. While I'm no longer a full-time resident of church basements, converted restaurant spaces, or Knights of Columbus Halls, my determination to champion the equitable integration of volunteers into the growing response framework remains strong.
Thanks for reading...
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