Pictured above: NECHAMA staff members pose for a photo with an IOCC staff member at the 2019 National VOAD Conference in Nashville, TN.
National VOAD celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2020!
What is National VOAD? The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is a coalition of major organizations in the United States that work in all areas of the disaster sector. National VOAD promotes the 4 C’s among all member organizations: cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration. They work to foster more effective delivery of services to communities affected by disasters.
National VOAD is composed of national member organizations (like NECHAMA!). Members work in partnership with more than 70 other nonprofits, government, and community-based organizations. When disaster strikes, we communicate with organizations like our own to coordinate a response to the physical needs of debris removal or home repair. Other member organizations coordinate efforts to bring families needed resources such as temporary shelter, food, and medicine. Additional member organizations collaborate to offer mental and spiritual care, helping to process the trauma experienced after the loss of a home or community.
In addition to the National level, there is a State and Territory VOAD level. Before, during, and after a disaster, State and Territory VOADs coordinate disaster response at a local level. Through cooperation with local emergency management and local organizations, State and Territory VOAD’s are able to meet the needs of local disasters around the country by collaborating to meet needs as they arise.
At all levels, the VOAD movement works to coordinate the many aspects of response to a disaster. This effort ensures that each community receives the support it needs to move past the immediate disaster and begin the process to rebuild.
As we join with member organizations to share that National VOAD celebrated its 50th year, we celebrate the accomplishments of the VOAD movement. Watch the video below to learn more about how National VOAD has evolved in its 50-year history. This mini-documentary explores the iconic disaster events that helped shape the National VOAD Movement.
For more information on the National VOAD movement, visit their website: https://www.nvoad.org/