A local nonprofit continues to help the community prepare and face the challenges of unexpected disasters.
Founded in 2012, Building Resilient Communities focuses on grassroots emergency preparedness. The organization offers emergency preparedness supplies to houses of worship, nonprofits and youth as well as providing emergency preparedness training to the community.
BRC was a subgrantee of the Listos California grant and has continued its mission — especially the most vulnerable populations — of helping the community prepare for a crisis. BRC offers a free “Are You Ready?” webinar for personal preparedness. Those interested can sign up on the organization’s website.
BRC, which is based in San Bernardino County, has also launched a series to help nonprofits prepare with disaster preparedness training, including succession planning, board responsibilities and emergency action plans.
“We are really good at bringing people together,” said Debra Williams, the organization’s executive director. “There’s a lot of relationship-building involved and that includes people learning to trust that we know what we’re talking about.”
Preparing for the coronavirus pandemic, BRC went virtual in mid-February and its staff and volunteers have been working at home since. The organization was able to quickly shift to online classes and this has broadened its reach. Going virtual has helped BRC prepare attendees for disaster response in other states and even in Canada.
Recently, BRC received an IE COVID-19 Resilience Fund grant through Inland Empire Community Foundation to assist with the technology for the transition online.
The organization’s day-to-day operations focus on the Inland Empire.
BRC has received PPE from FEMA, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Redlands Interfaith Council and San Bernardino County. BRC also secured funding to store the disposable and cloth masks, face shields, gloves and hand sanitizer. The organization has provided over 11,000 disposable masks and other PPE to nonprofits, houses of worship, and other organizations in need.
During the upcoming election, BRC plans to provide polling stations with masks and hand sanitizer as well as emergency preparedness information.
Williams encourages the community to continue to embrace preparedness in the face of unexpected disaster. BRC offers a list of resources and current information on COVID-19 and also has a list of emergency preparedness resources on its website. As the fire season is underway, Williams encourages community members to create a plan and prepare for emergencies.
“If you aren’t already prepared, with everything that is going on right now, get prepared,” Williams said. “Stay informed from credible sources, prepare a ‘go bag’, be ready to go at a moment’s notice, make a plan and help your neighbors.”
BRC believes that social justice issues are an additional health crisis that have always been a component of the organization’s mission. BRC works to educate overlooked communities on disaster preparedness. Assisting communities that are less prepared for disasters and ensuring they are resilient and able to respond, strengthens the community as whole, Williams said.
We know communities of color and other underserved and vulnerable populations, because of systemic issues, may not be as prepared, Williams said.
“If we can help more and more people get prepared for disaster then the better off the community will be,” Williams said. “We want to cast that safety net across the Inland Empire.”
More information: https://www.buildingresilientcommunities.org/ or 909-283-6872
Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy.
"emergency" - Google News
September 26, 2020 at 10:00PM
https://ift.tt/30bKHdp
This Inland Empire nonprofit focuses on emergency preparedness - Press-Enterprise
"emergency" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2VVGGYQ
https://ift.tt/3d7MC6X
emergency
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "This Inland Empire nonprofit focuses on emergency preparedness - Press-Enterprise"
Post a Comment