Disaster Relief
 |
|
Current and Recent Efforts: |
America's Second Harvest first took an active role in disaster relief in 1989, following Hurricane Hugo, which devastated several states in the Southeastern United States, and the Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused significant damage in San Francisco and the Central California Coast. Since then, The America's Second Harvest network of more than 200 food banks has been committed to responding to major disasters, and dedicated to continually improving its preparedness by building relationships with local, state, and national partners in disaster response.
America’s Second Harvest is a member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD). America’s Second Harvest network supports disaster relief and recovery in communities by distributing assistance through the more than 50,000 local agencies that it supports on a daily basis. America’s Second Harvest also provides immediate relief through emergency feeding centers operated by NVOAD partners including the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
Fast Facts
- During the past five years, the America's Second Harvest network and its national corporate donors have provided more than 100 million pounds of emergency food and disaster relief supplies to individuals and families impacted by disaster.
- America's Second Harvest regularly mobilizes its corporate partners and its donor community to provide disaster relief, above and beyond their ongoing collaborations to address the chronic food insecurity that millions of Americans face daily.
- America’s Second Harvest provides specialized disaster training for its network and continually improves standard operating procedures that enable member food banks to develop seamless, coordinated approaches to delivering disaster assistance.
- Before disasters strike, the America’s Second Harvest network positions emergency food products and personal care items that are most frequently requested by individuals and families immediately following an incident. America’s Second Harvest stages these supplies in strategically-designated locations throughout the nation and regularly cycles inventory prior to expiration. This approach insures that any staged supplies not used for disaster relief in a given year can still help to meet the daily hunger challenges faced by so many communities.
For more information, please contact Patrick Crawford, Director of Disaster Services at 312.641.6846.
