From helping survivors of a national disaster to supporting families in need, disaster relief and recovery support organizations are there when you need them. Through their national disaster recovery framework, invaluable support, families and individuals have been able to survive crises and get back on their feet.
Below is a list of disaster relief organizations that offer essential aid and assistance in times of difficulty and disaster.
1. American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is one of the better-known disaster relief organizations in the United States. Their response time averages 8 minutes to an emergency and annually they respond to an average of over 60,000 natural disasters.
Their response to natural disasters is split into two areas:
Response: They react to disasters with a force, made up of over 95% volunteers, for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more.
Recovery: Their national disaster recovery framework response works with community leaders, other relief agencies, and even the government to provide immediate relief measures.
Additionally, they also provide financial assistance for those who need it; making sure financial assistance is available long-term for people who need help rebuilding their lives.
The Red Cross is well-known for it’s care for hurricane survivors. From medical care to safe shelters and recovery support functions, to helping families prepare for the future, the Red cross is there every step of the way with vital support and disaster relief.
2. Salvation Army
One of the largest disaster relief organizations is the Salvation Army. They offer support to those who have survived natural disasters, including tornadoes, flooding, and hurricanes.
Yearly, they provide vital support for up to 800,000 Americans, with their four main methods of care:
Emergency preparedness:
- They offer a range of disaster relief preparedness programs for schools and businesses.
- They have a handbook that details what to do in case of a natural disaster.
Immediate response:
- They work with local organizations and federal authorities to get aid to those who need it.
- Provide basic comforts. Their nation-wide properties are turned into shelters for those affected, and they provide blankets, hot showers, and more to those in need.
Emotional and spiritual care
- They offer survivors and support workers with emotional and spiritual care, depending on their needs.
Long-term disaster recovery support
- The Salvation Army will stay as long as a community needs them to, ensuring that people are able to return to normalcy.
- They work with local and national government agencies formulating and implementing long term disaster relief plans.
- Ultimately, their goal is to support community members and help them rebuild their lives.
3. AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a disaster relief organization that works not just in America, but also in other parts of the world. They are centered around improving people’s health and providing essential medical aid, as well as other means of assistance.
They have a three-part response to helping when it comes to natural disasters and disaster relief:
Ready:
- Expecting extremes – This focuses on preparing for extreme weather but also disasters such as infectious diseases.
- Get ready – They receive funding from AERP (Americares Emergency Response Partners) and receive help from volunteers.
- Protect health – Have a range of health facilities to help those in need.
Respond:
- Coordinate with local governments in offering aid.
- Find local health partners in the area.
- Supply medical care and medical supplies for essential aid.
Recovery:
- Help health systems recover and rebuild to be stronger and more effective in the next disaster.
4. UNICEF
UNICEF is a disaster relief program that focuses predominantly on helping and providing care for children affected by natural disasters and their families. It was founded after World War Two to help children suffering from the aftermath of war and continues to do this vital work in the present day.
Additionally, they focus not just on natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and monsoons, but also aid children in conflict, and those affected by the child refugee and migrant crisis.
UNICEF provides immediate and long-term humanitarian aid such as hygiene kits, clean water, shelters, and medical aid to children and their families.
5. Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is a set of international disaster relief teams distributed through a non-profit disaster response organization. It incorporates mostly military veterans and first responders to make up a highly-skilled, emergency response team.
They have over 130,000 volunteers ready to dispatch for response, and recovery support for nearly instant aid.
Their immediate disaster relief organizations support includes emergency medicine and debris management of buildings and homes hit by natural disasters.
Team Rubicon also offers a long term recovery support program, which focuses on rebuilding the homes of natural disaster victims.
6. The Volunteers of America
The Volunteers of America is a faith-based, non-profit that is active across the United States. It helps with the aftermath of disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding in local communities.
They help people find affordable housing, shelters, and food after a national disaster. Their wide range of services support the community before, during, and after natural disasters, making them a valuable support.
Additionally, they provide assistance to those disaster survivors who might otherwise be overlooked such as:
- People with low income
- The homeless
- People who are disabled
- Those with mental health and behavioral problems
Their disaster assistance is community-based, and provides essential assistance for disaster survivors to get back on their feet.
7. All Hands And Hearts
Originally, the All Hands Volunteers was one of the disaster relief organizations that was established after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. It has now joined with the Happy Hearts Fund; one of its partner organizations that was also established because the creator was affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, to become All Hands and Hearts.
This disaster relief agency is a wholly voluntary organization that focuses on rebuilding disaster-resilient schools and homes.
They focus on response and recovery by bringing immediate and long term relief from natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and even infectious disease pandemics such as Covid-19.
8. The REACT International
The REACT International is one of the communications disaster relief organizations. They are a non-profit organization run by volunteers that provide emergency communication after a natural disaster strikes.
They also provide first aid and communications assistance along with a multitude of recovery projects. They provide highly specialized equipment to help react teams give essential care to those affected by disasters.
By directly assisting local police, traffic control, and other response services with their communications they work directly with the community to ensure help is given where it is needed.
9. SBP
SBP helps homeowners, businesses, and non-profits affected by a natural disaster rebuild their homes and organizations.
Their assistance programs help in several ways:
- They offer advice on disaster preparedness; giving homeowners resilience training on what they can do to survive and carry on in the event of a natural disaster.
- They advise state government officials on what to do next, in terms of helping communities rebuild.
- They rebuild homes for low to moderate-income homeowners and focus their disaster relief supplies on disaster victims such as: families with small children, the elderly, people with disabilities, war veterans, and the uninsured.
- They rebuild foundations in communities for long-term relief.
10. Children’s Disaster Services
This disaster relief organization is a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries which was formed by the Church of the Brethren. It was set up to help children in need.
After a natural disaster, Children’s Disaster Services sets up child care centers and shelters in disaster areas and provides emergency assistance in their disaster centers across the United States.
They provide emergency food and medicine for those who need it. Additionally, they also have specially trained volunteers who not only assist with aid but also provide counseling to traumatized children. This helps children process the trauma they have experienced and provides a support for better mental health going forward.
11. FEMA
FEMA was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and since then has assisted Americans with disaster recovery efforts. By working with local governmental disaster relief organizations and specialists, FEMA helps not just with the rebuilding efforts but also assists local infrastructure in recovery. Today, FEMA is part of the Department of Defense, but its duties to Americans in disaster areas have not changed.
FEMA has multiple response teams that are deployed as needed in a disaster. These include:
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams which are teams made up of doctors and emergency first aid workers. Among them are also specific nursing teams (NNRT), medical response teams (NMRT), and mortuary teams (DMORT) that can be sent out to assist communities and provide medical supplies.
Urban Search and Rescue are deployed when a national disaster such as an earthquake occurs. They handle search and rescue operations in conjunction with local authorities.
Mobile Emergency Response Support provides valuable communications support to enhance public safety. With the assistance of portable cell towers and trucks with satellite uplink, they can provide communications support for responders and disaster victims.
Additionally, FEMA provides support and assistance for pre-disaster mitigation programs, whose goals are to reduce risks, injuries, and recovery process time. Additionally, through the National Flood Insurance Program, they work to reduce building works or enhance current structures located in a flood plain.
FEMA handles more than natural disasters, with an entire team devoted to preparing in case of nuclear attack or accident. This includes plans to major U.S. cities in case of emergency as well as providing an action guide for nuclear radiation poisoning.
From the California wildfires to the current COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA assists Americans and helps them return to normalcy, no matter the disaster.
Conclusion
While this is not a comprehensive list of American based disaster relief organizations, this list encompasses some of the largest organizations in America. Each organization is uniquely equipped to help people who have suffered through a natural disaster get back on their feet as quickly as possible.