Thursday, September 15, 2011

Do you know what natural disasters you are vulnerable to in your community? Do you have an emergency plan if disaster strikes?




These can be daunting questions, but they don’t have to be. Aside from having disaster insurance protection, we often forget the importance of developing a plan and having the necessary supplies to be ready for emergency situations. Being prepared can grant us a certain peace of mind when all precautionary steps have been taken.

Good & Ready, a program of the Get HandsOn campaign, will help you get prepared. Good &
Ready focuses on emergency preparedness efforts and encourages Americans to create family emergency plans, build emergency preparedness kits and get trained with an emergency response organization.

Visit www.gethandson.com to see all the amazing resources available to you and take an interactive quiz to rest your family’s readiness for emergencies and disasters. Not only will you be able to assess your emergency readiness, you will also be entered in the weekly drawing to receive a ReadyBox emergency preparedness case. The prizes don’t end there. By pledging your plans to create an emergency plan, build a kit, help others and/or get trained, you will be entered for the chance to win a $250 Lowe’s gift card in a weekly drawing. Participants will also be entered for the chance to win a $1,000 American Express gift card in the grand prize drawing. Winners are encouraged to donate their gift card to their charity of choice.

Countless lives have been saved because people like YOU have received training from emergency response organizations and created emergency kits. If you haven’t taken the appropriate steps to get prepared, what are you waiting for? Visit your local HandsOn action center or visit one of Good & Ready’s partner organizations like the Red Cross, FLASH and Ready.gov for additional resources in emergency response.

What about your neighbors? As you peruse the Good & Ready website, you will gain tons of knowledge. We encourage you to share this information with your friends and community.
Hosting a kit building party is a fun way to share your emergency preparedness smarts and interact with family, friends and neighbors to ensure everyone is prepared. Throw on some tunes, get a few snacks and have a blast. It can be inexpensive to make a household kit and one of the best investments you can make for your home.

We all know that the more we’re prepared to face a difficult situation, the less anxious we become. Log on to gethandson.com and get good and ready. Don’t forget to check out the
Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for more great tips!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Volunteer Broward to Coordinate 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance in Broward County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kristina DaSilva,
Director of Programs
Volunteer Broward
Phone: 954.233.1293

Volunteer Broward is joining hundreds of organizations and individuals around the country that are participating in the 9/11 Day observance in an effort to create the single-largest day of good deeds, charitable activity and volunteer service in U.S. history.  The projects will pay tribute to the 9/11 victims and survivors and those who rose in service following the attacks.

Beginning on September 9th and culminating on September 11th, Volunteer Broward will organize 1,000 volunteers in service to the county.   Rallying community members to commit to service by taking the “I Will” pledge, the local affiliate of the national HandsOn Network plans to unite nonprofit organizations, civic groups, corporate and community volunteers to perform a wide array of tasks.

“This movement captures the desire of millions of caring Americans and people around the world to pay tribute, as well as our collective determination to not forget those lost, the injured and the many who rose in service in response to the attacks,” said Jay S. Winuk, vice president and co-founder of MyGoodDeed, and brother of Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney and volunteer firefighter who died in the line of duty on Sept. 11. “The 10-year anniversary of 9/11 provides a remarkable opportunity to rekindle that much needed spirit of unity and create a historic tribute of service and reflection that will forever honor both the victims and heroes of the 9/11 attacks.”

Joining MyGoodDeed and HandsOn Network to lead the observance are the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center, AARP, The Mission Continues and The Corporation for National and Community Service. The 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance is supported by leadership contributor American Express, along with national contributors JPMorgan Chase, Best Buy, GlaxoSmithKline, and Target.

“The support from the community has been tremendous”, said Volunteer Broward’s Executive Director, Dale Hirsch. “We are proud to be part of such a strong collaborative effort to honor the victims, heroes and survivors of 9/11.”

Volunteer Broward is currently registering volunteers to carry out the service projects that will take place throughout Broward County from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11.  The calendar of projects includes:   

  • 09/09/2011 - Food Sorting at Feeding South Florida
  • 09/10/2011 – Stephen Siller Tunnel to Tower Run
  • 09/10/2011 – 9/11 Service Tribute at Broward Outreach Center
  • 09/10/2011 – Disaster Response Team Training at Volunteer Broward
  • 09/10/2011 – Mock Volunteer Reception Center at Volunteer Broward
  • 09/11/2011 – 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Elementary School
Individuals interested in volunteering at a 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance tribute project can find a complete list of service opportunities with project details, locations, and requirements online at www.VolunteerBroward.org.  

About Volunteer Broward:
Volunteer Broward connects individuals, businesses, and civic groups with unique, hands-on volunteer opportunities at more than 600 nonprofit organizations, and on thousands of projects annually, which make a lasting impact on our community. To learn more about Volunteer Broward, upcoming service opportunities, or to schedule a volunteer orientation at your place of business, please call 954.233.1300 or visit us online at www.VolunteerBroward.org

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