Tag Archives: disaster response

Strobel Finalists 2023: Disaster Preparedness and Response

March 31, 2023Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards, Volunteers who inspire us"community service", "Hands On Nashville", "Middle Tennessee", disaster, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Preparedness and Response, Disaster Preparedness and Response Award, disaster response, Mary Catherine Strobel, Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards, Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards 2023, Nashville, nashville disaster, nashville voad, service, Strobel, Strobel Awards 2023, Strobel family, The Strobel Family, volunteer, volunteering, Volunteerism, volunteers, Volunteers who inspire ushandsonnashville

Congratulations to these three finalists in the Disaster Preparedness and Response category of the 37th Annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards! Vote for your favorite story of service until April 15 at the button below!

Click here to vote!

Nissan of North America
Volunteers with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

For more than 30 years, Nissan of North America has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to provide food to those in need. During this time, they have donated more than 7.6 million meals – and in the last three years alone, Nissan employees have dedicated more than 2,400 service hours. Since they began funding Mobile Pantries in 2017, they have fed more than 10,000 people and sent 30–40 employees to each Mobile Pantry to help distribute food.

Nowhere was Nissan’s dedication more apparent than in their response to Hurricane Ian. When the hurricane struck Florida, Nissan immediately answered the call. In response to relief efforts, FEMA requested that Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee provide 70 truckloads of disaster relief boxes to Florida. Fortunately, the nonprofit was able to rely on Nissan to accomplish this herculean task quickly and efficiently. Within 10 minutes of the storm’s hitting the coast, Nissan of North America had already committed to their first volunteer shift. Ultimately, they ended up filling six shifts – each with 20–30 volunteers – and packed 3,484 boxes.

“When we needed their help for disaster relief,” a colleague at Second Harvest said, “whether at home or in another part of the country, Nissan responded. This goes beyond just making a donation; clearly community service is part of their culture.”

Sherry Nicholson
Volunteers with YAIPak Outreach

Sherry Nicholson, founder of YAIPak Outreach, an organization that impacts communities across the nation through providing basic life necessities, has led her organization in impacting over 810,000 people in 2022, with 258,100 of those individuals impacted because of disaster relief efforts. Since YAIPak is a mobile organization, Sherry and other volunteers were able to set up mobile units for operation and distribution sites around Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida.

After the flash flood of August 2021, YAIPak Outreach was the first organization on the ground in Waverly, Tenn. Sherry still has a strong presence there, and over the last few years, she has donated rebuilding supplies, coordinated “muck out” teams and equipped local organizations with what they need to rebuild over 487 homes.

Sherry founded YAIPak Outreach after going through a difficult life experience. After a domestic violence situation left her and her two small children homeless, Sherry was determined to provide the very best for her kids. She was inspired by her homelessness, and after seeing miracles in her own life, she started Project Rebuild Hope. Project Rebuild Hope was YAIPak’s disaster relief arm, created after encampments were destroyed by Nashville tornadoes.

“There are so many stories I could share of the faithfulness, compassion, generosity and kindness of Sherry,” said a colleague. “She honestly goes above and beyond what could ever be asked of her in any moment.”

Sonny Nichols
Volunteers with Disaster Recovery Connection

For three years, Sonny Nichols has been working with Disaster Recovery Connection as a volunteer in several roles. He has volunteered during community walkabouts, worked as a third party between disaster case managers and survivors, and called identified survivors when a disaster struck to learn their needs and connect them with community resources.

Sonny volunteered at the first walkabout in Wilson County in July 2020 following the March 2020 tornado. He returned for the October 2020 walkabout and continued to volunteer after the March 2021 and August 2021 floods. Most recently, Sonny worked for the Long-Term Recovery Groups after the December 2021 tornadoes, an extensive process that has continued into 2023. Part of Sonny’s job is also to call survivors and identify their needs. In a short amount of time, he has reached out to nearly 650 individual survivors, offering them assistance and compassion.

Through his work in these myriad roles, Sonny has been identified by colleagues as one of their strongest case workers, ensuring that survivors’ needs are always met during times of crisis and chaos.

“We know Long-Term Recovery Groups and the community are in good hands and stronger with Sonny Nichols volunteering,” said a colleague.

Click here to vote

To see a full list of the nominees for the 37th Annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards, click here.

How to help Kentucky flood survivors

August 5, 2022Disaster Relief"community service", "Hands On Nashville", #KentucyStrong, Disaster Relief, disaster response, eastern kentucky, Eastern KY flooding, Kentucky flooding, Kentucky strong, VOAD, volunteer, Volunteerism, volunteershandsonnashville

With historic flood damage and brutal heat affecting those in Eastern Kentucky, we know Nashville is looking for ways to help.

YAIPack Outreach, a member of the Nashville VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), is collecting donations for survivors and first responders at 1255 Paradise Hill Road, Clarksville, TN.

Click here to download a list of YAIPack’s most needed items

Inspiritus, also active in the Nashville VOAD, is looking for volunteers willing to travel to Kentucky to offer aid. Those interested in this opportunity can contact Sherry Buresh at 859-353-2243 or email her at sherry.buresh@weinspirit.org.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (center) met with Inspiritus volunteers at the Volunteer Reception Center in Wayland Floyd County to provide encouragement to responders and survivors alike. (Photo by Inspiritus)

The Inspiritus Disaster Response team is currently on the ground in Eastern Kentucky running the Volunteer Reception Center and coordinating volunteer efforts.

Other local organizations offering relief are The FootPrint Project, Kentucky Red Cross, and the Christian Appalachian Project. They need monetary donations, as well as volunteers.

Click here for flood resources from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear

This is a reminder that disasters can occur without warning. Hands On Nashville and our partners are always preparing for whatever may come our way.

Attend our next Disaster Volunteer Leader training

How to Help December Tornado Survivors

December 13, 2021A Stronger Nashville, Disaster Relief"Hands On Nashville", CFMT, December tornado, Disaster Relief, disaster response, how to help, nashville voad, resources, Tennessee tornado, Tennessee VOAD, Volunteerism, volunteershandsonnashville

On December 10-11, a line of severe storms and tornadoes swept across the country and resulted in fatalities, damaged structures and residences in more than six states. This page offers resources for those recovering and will be updated regularly.

Volunteer
Volunteers can connect with Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at www.tnvoad.org/volunteer, or the Kentucky Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster at voadkentucky.wpengine.com/volunteer.

To sign up as a Disaster Volunteer Leader with Hands On Nashville, click here.

Give
In times of disaster, financial donations are the best way to aid those in need. Cash can be used immediately in response to a crisis, and allows disaster relief organizations to purchase exactly what is needed, when it’s needed. Cash gives relief organizations the means to procure supplies near the affected area, which cuts down on transportation time and cost. Monetary contributions also support local economies and ensure that businesses can operate when relief supplies diminish.

To donate to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund, click here

To donate to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, click here

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross continues to serve those affected by the recent severe weather. Emergency assistance is available to individuals whose homes were destroyed or majorly impacted. For more information, please contact the American Red Cross by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Crisis Cleanup
A Crisis Cleanup service is in place for Tennesseans who need help with debris removal and home cleanup from the recent severe weather. All services are free, but service is not guaranteed due to the expected overwhelming need. Individuals needing assistance should call the hotline at 1-800-451-1954.

Tennessee Statewide Crisis Phone Line
Call 1-855-CRISIS-1 (1-855-274-7471) to speak with a caring, trained mental health professional, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, if you are experiencing a mental health emergency. You can also text TN to 741741.

Rx Open
Rx Open provides information on the operating status of healthcare facilities in areas impacted by a disaster. Visit their website at rxopen.org.

Flood survivors need volunteers like you to help on their path to recovery

October 21, 2021Disaster Relief"community service", "Hands On Nashville", "Middle Tennessee", disaster, disaster by the numbers, disaster recovery, Disaster Relief, disaster response, disaster volunteers, HON, infographics, Nashville, service, statistics, volunteer, volunteering, Volunteerism, volunteershandsonnashville

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Connect with survivors who may still need support: Small groups of volunteers will canvass flood-affected neighborhoods on Nov. 12. We especially need Spanish speakers to ensure we can connect with as many families as possible!

Canvass to connect survivors with resources

2. Rebuild homes with Inspiritus: Volunteers will help residents rebuild homes impacted by the flood. Activities range from painting, flooding, installing drywall and insulation. Training is provided with on-site leadership.

Help rebuild flooded homes

3. Use your skills or form a group to help with the rebuilding effort: As recovery and rebuilding continues we need skilled construction volunteers as well as groups of volunteers who can help with demolition, construction, and community outreach.

Volunteer to use your construction skills

Click here to see the latest updates from VOAD

It’s National Preparedness Month. Do you have a plan?

September 13, 2021Disaster Relief, EducationBe Ready, disaster, disaster preparation, Disaster Relief, disaster response, disaster volunteerism, education, FEMA, Hands On Nashville, Nashville Disaster Relief, National Preparedness Month, Natural Disaster, nonprofit, NPM, Prepare and Protect, Prepare to Protect, Staying Safehandsonnashville

As we’ve learned from the March 2020 tornado, COVID-19 pandemic, March 2021 flooding, and hurricane warning earlier this month — disasters can strike unexpectedly.

There’s no better time than the present to prepare to protect, and keep you and your family safe during a disaster.

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM), an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. This year the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is using its public service campaign, Ready, to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement.

This year, Ready is promoting four key ways to be prepared:

(1) Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses

(2) make a family emergency plan and

(3) build an emergency supply kit, and

(4) get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies.

There’s some easy, low cost ways to prepare for a disaster:

Start today by signing up for alerts, safe-guarding important documents, and taking other low cost and no cost preparedness actions to lessen the impact of disasters and emergencies for you and your family.

Click here to create your family emergency communication plan

It’s also important to teach your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. Reassure them by providing information about how they can get involved.

There’s also many ways you can get involved before an emergency or a disaster occurs, by joining a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and getting trained on basic disaster response skills, taking FEMA disaster response classes such as You Are the Help Until Help Arrives, donating money to a reputable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD), and volunteer to respond to disasters and help your fellow Americans.

For a full list of how you can get involved, click here.

Don’t forget to share your preparedness prep with us! We would love if you shared your kits, how you’re making a plan, or any other helpful information others should know with us by tagging us on social media @HONashville, and using the Ready hashtags, #BeReady and #PrepareToProtect!

Thank you for loving Nashville.

April 9, 2021A Stronger Nashville, Disaster Reliefdisaster recovery, Disaster Relief, disaster response, disaster volunteerism, disaster volunteers, Make a difference, Nashville, Nashville Flood 2021, nashville flooding, Nashville Strong, south nashville, volunteer, volunteering, volunteershandsonnashville

Last Saturday we said there was a need and volunteers showed up. Because of you, many residents in South Nashville are a step closer to recovering from recent flooding that devastated so many neighborhoods. Thank you!

On April 3, 350 volunteers cleaned up at around 90 houses. They hauled supplies with their pickup trucks and helped other volunteers find parking and get checked in. They translated languages to help keep the communication flowing. They also handed out more than 400 boxes of food, 420 flood buckets, and 100 hygiene kits to families in need.

And thank you to the many partners that helped put the day of service together: the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, American Red Cross, Conexión Américas, WeGo, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, Community Resource Center, Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, Metro Parks and Recreation, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.

There’s still LOTS more work to be done in South Nashville, and we need your help. Find a project here:

Browse all flood-relief projects and sign up!

‘You always have something you can do,’ says volunteer who logged hundreds of hours of tornado relief activities

March 2, 2021Disaster Relief, Volunteers who inspire usdisaster, Disaster Relief, disaster response, Nashville Tornado, North Nashville, Project Connect Nashville, Tornado Recovery Connection, tornado relief, tornado survivors, tornado volunteer, volunteerhandsonnashville

When the tornadoes hit, Melissa Alexander wasted no time finding a volunteer project to help survivors.

That’s who Melissa is, though — she goes above and beyond for people, and doesn’t seem to think twice about it. That makes her among the most prolific tornado-response volunteers in HON.org’s database, having registered for dozens of projects and logged hundreds of volunteer hours.

“After the tornado hit, I knew I couldn’t just stay home,” she says. “I’m from Texas, and that’s just not what you do there. After a disaster, if someone needs your help, you just go.”

Melissa Alexander, left, spent more than 300 hours volunteering in response to the 2020 tornadoes.

Melissa lives in Hermitage, about a block away from the path of destruction that spanned more than 60 miles overnight on March 2, 2020. She was without power for four days, and, looking back, is grateful to have had the opportunity to get out of the house and be of service to others.

She began volunteering at the Hermitage Community Center, sorting donations of apples, oranges, and other food and essentials. After about a week, when the center was running smoothly, she began looking for other ways to help. She had already attended volunteer leadership training at the Hands On Nashville headquarters. A liaison from Mayor John Cooper’s office determined she would be a great fit to begin supporting case management by alerting survivors to the resources that were available.

Melissa began canvassing the Hermitage area daily, going door to door to ask residents a series of questions:

“Are you working with a good contractor? Are they licensed?”

“Do you have your tetanus shot?”

“Do you know how to get to the community center?”

“Do you have your water and power turned on?”

It was more or less what she had been trained for, Melissa says, and she enjoyed the spark of hope residents would show when she was able to share information on a resource they were previously unaware of.

“‘They would ask, ‘Who are you with?’” and I would say, ‘Oh, I’m just a volunteer with Hands On Nashville, going around to make sure you’re aware of all of the services available in the community after a tornado.’ They loved it,” she says. “They were so grateful that somebody was just coming around and checking in on them.”

Melissa volunteered for weeks this way, reporting each morning to the city’s liaison, receiving her neighborhood assignments, then heading out with her bags of apples and oranges to distribute throughout the community. She estimates she spent more than 300 hours volunteering over the course of three months.

One day in particular stands out to Melissa — the day she was reassigned to North Nashville, on March 27. Rain was moving into the area, and the city needed additional help identifying houses that needed tarps.

“I went to Project Connect Nashville and started volunteering over there, four days a week, for about three months,” she says. “I’m still pretty committed to Project Connect. They do a lot for that North Nashville community.”

Once in North Nashville, Melissa says she found strength in the community to keep coming back day after day. The work was tiring, but, without fail, each morning when she arrived, there would be 30 people waiting outside Project Connect’s doors for a hot meal.

“When you see that many people waiting to get a hot meal, you can’t just say no,” Melissa says. “And the people were so eager for help. They wanted to know what resources were available or how to do something.”

Melissa Alexander and Mary. — Melissa (left) with Mary.

And that’s how Melissa met Mary.

“She’s the lady who made me cry on my first day,” Melissa says. “A neighbor had called to bring her meals, and I was the first one to have checked up on her since the storm. That day she was upset because her FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) request was denied, and she just bawled.”

Melissa bonded with Mary, who is 83 years old, right away. She worked to get Mary’s phone back in service, reinstall her security light, and create some raised garden beds for her. They still talk or text regularly.

“I even helped her organize the inside of her house, and we shredded papers for three days,” Melissa says. “She kept everything. She had checkbooks from the ’80s. So I helped her shred papers, and it was so fun. Older people have the best stories.”

Throughout the COVID-19 lockdowns, Melissa continued to work with Project Connect. She’s an avid mask-wearer, and says she practiced good hygiene long before the pandemic, crediting her work as a behavioral analyst who often worked with clients with auto-immune disorders. She says the Red Cross and Project Connect were thorough with their protocols, and that she never felt unsafe while volunteering.

Call the Tornado Recovery Connection at 615-270-9255 to get help.

Melissa’s background has proved invaluable throughout her time volunteering. Being from Texas, she was familiar with disaster response and FEMA, and by working with lower-income families she’s also familiar with food-assistance and housing programs. As Project Connect transitioned their services to working mainly from the resource center, Melissa jokes that she became known as the “resource guru.” To this day she has about 60 bookmarks — in multiple languages — stored in her phone to offer to people for help.

“You always have a skill,” she says, “and you always have something you can do that goes toward something that someone else needs.”

And while the recovery process has spanned the past year, Melissa knows there’s still more recovery and healing that needs to happen.

“There’s so many houses still not touched,” she says. “You can drive through Hermitage now and see the changes. But in North, there’s still boards on the windows, tarps on the roofs. There’s still so much work to be done.”

Tornado survivors can get access to a variety of resources and support through the Tornado Recovery Connection. If you know any tornado survivors, please make sure they know to call TRC at 615-270-9255.

Guest post: Strategies for dealing with storm anxiety

March 1, 2021Disaster Reliefanxiety, disaster anxiety, disaster response, Nashville Tornado, storm anxiety, tornado, tornado preparationhandsonnashville

Note from Hands On Nashville: The following post, written by licensed professional counselor Samuel Rainey, originates on the Nashville Severe Weather website, and is a useful guide for folks who feel anxious when thinking about or experiencing storms. As we mark one year since the devastating March 3, 2020, tornados, many are feeling strong emotions, including anxiety, about potential severe spring weather. We hope this post helps provide some context and useful information about how to handle stress that’s connected to storm anxiety.

By Samuel Rainey via Nashville Severe Weather (shared with permission)

There’s a feeling it’s always storm season. I have a general appreciation for storms and a healthy respect about what they can do. Sometimes, my respect for the storms can make me feel a little crazy as I attempt to corral my wife and four kids into the tiny coat closet under our stairs. Each time we do this, I’m reminded of being 4 years old in my childhood home in Arkansas. A tornado was on its way, I’m in the bathtub with my siblings, and my parents have just put the twin mattress on top of us. It was a terrifying experience. Today, we don’t have room for a twin mattress, so I put bike helmets on my kids. My teenagers are especially appreciative of me when I make them put these on.

Most people I know have a strong reaction to storms. They either love them, or hate them. I think this is because storms remind us that we are small, fragile, and incredibly powerless. Despite some really bad movie plots about weather and storms, the bottom line is that there’s really nothing you or I can do about a storm. We can’t change the direction, alter the intensity, or tell it to stop producing dangerous results. To many of us, that is a really scary experience, even to the point of creating anxiety as a storm approaches.

Feeling anxious about storms is completely normal, and it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you. It’s natural to experience a wide range of emotions: from panic to stress to a general unease as a storm comes your way.

Stress limits the body’s production of serotonin (the happy, calming chemical). We all need serotonin to feel good, safe, and happy in life. Instead of serotonin, our body produces adrenaline. Adrenaline is the chemical that amps us up for survival, a fight, or to face a threat. Storms are a legit threat to our lives and our brains don’t really care if we’re happy or calm. Our brains think serotonin won’t save us, but adrenaline might. So we lose that happy, calming chemical, and end up on edge. Stressed.

Because we are small, fragile, and limited humans, we are deeply impacted by our surroundings. When a storm pops up, it can trigger significant feeling unsafe. At a basic level, our brain knows that when a storm is near, it has to gear our body up for a fight. Because of this, we’ve got to take care of ourselves so we can handle the incoming storms.

Three Strategies to Combat Storm Anxiety: Preparation, Process, and People

Preparation

Fear is the feeling that there is danger near and that we need to do something about it. So prepare for the fear by assembling a storm kit you take with you to your “safe space” in your home. You might also consider putting a smaller kit in your car in the event a storm arises when you’re not at home. This storm kit will have everything you need before, during, and after a storm.

Your kit needs to have:

Water
Something nonperishable to eat (Twinkies don’t count)
First aid (Band-Aids, Neosporin, etc.)
Flashlight
Socks
A picture of loved ones

Optional items to include:

Battery-operated handheld radio
Cell phone batter recharger and cable
Something to do/a project (a craft, knitting, drawing, bourbon tasting, Solitaire with a deck of cards, etc.)
A weighted blanket: These work in the same way that a “thunder jacket” works with a dog, or how swaddling a baby makes them feel safe and secure. A weighted blanket helps provide external stimuli that can produce serotonin (the calming chemical).

Process

When stress happens, we need a process to follow to calm us down. Developing a process to follow each time a storm arises will help you to move out of reactivity. A process will comfort you. Your process needs to become a habit you practice every time a storm comes. This routine will help you trust in something other than the “impending doom” of the storm. You’ll have a process to comfort you.

Some processes to follow:

Put your storm preparation kit in an accessible place near your safe room.
Limit information intake: Smartphones are great for information, but sometimes too much information is actually more stressful. Flooding our mind with too much information can heighten the feelings of anxiety. Pick one or two sources of information to follow. Watch local TV or reliable social-media feeds.
Do something along with watching the weather feed. (Projects listed above)
Gratitude Jar: At the end of each severe weather threat you encounter, get a notecard and write down the date, time, and experience you had in this particular storm. Get a Ziploc bag and deposit the notecard in the bag. We are going to call this your victory bag. In the future when a storm is near and you’re getting nervous or afraid, get your kit (below), open the victory bag, and read through all of the storms that you’ve not just survived, but thrived. This will be a process for you to remember that you are ok.

Remember, storms do their thing, and we need to do our thing. Experiment with some processes to follow and find what works for you.

People

This is the most important of the three strategies: we need people in our lives. We need people not just when weather happens, but when other emotional storms show up in our lives. One of my favorite authors, Frederick Buechner, says this, “Welcome to the world, where beautiful and terrible things will happen.”

We’re not made to deal with the beautiful and terrible things on our own. This is the reason why Tom Hanks’ character in the movie “Cast Away” creates a friend out of a volleyball. He can’t live in isolation on that island. From an existential standpoint, anxiety is about being isolated. At some level we all fear being left, abandoned, betrayed, or alone by ourselves. Nervousness and worry come from a legitimate fear we have that has not been taken care of. Fears are natural to being human, and when we don’t tend to the needs associated with our fears, they can transform into life controlling worry, and sometimes even anxiety.

The single best way to help combat storm anxiety is to be known. To be with other people. Surround yourself with people who you can care about, and who care about you. If you live alone, call someone or get on a video call with them. We are better equipped to handle difficult situations when we know that someone else is with us to face the danger. It’s amazing what happens to our stress when someone who cares about us holds our hand or gives us a reassuring hug.

It might be that your storm anxiety is alerting you to your need to have more people involved in the difficulties of your life. Growth is a relational experience. We don’t grow in isolation; we grow because of relationships.

Following these three strategies won’t solve all your storm related problems, but they are a great next step for you to take. If you only do one of the three above ideas, please invite people into your life. I know of no better way to reduce my own situational anxiety than having someone help me carry the burden I’m facing.

Lastly, if you find that this anxiety you’re experiencing happens in other places of your life (work, relationships, making decisions, etc.) then it might be helpful to talk to a professional counselor about that.

Follow Nashville Severe Weather on Twitter: @NashSevereWx.

City of Nashville & Davidson County join nonprofits to provide response and recovery efforts for historic downtown area

December 31, 2020Disaster Relief, Uncategorized#NashvilleStrong, 2nd Avenue, 2nd Avenue explosion, christmas bomb, christmas day bomb, christmas explosion, disaster recovery, Disaster Relief, disaster response, Hands On Nashville, Nashville, nashville bomb, nashville bombing, Nashville Strong, VOAD, Volunteerismhandsonnashville

December 31, 2020, Nashville, Tenn. – The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Office of Emergency Management, and Nashville/Davidson County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) are working together to provide immediate assistance to individuals affected by the tragedy on Friday, Dec. 25, in downtown Nashville.

With the city’s focus of quickly identifying businesses, employees of those affected businesses, and residents who lived in the damaged historic downtown structures, members of the VOAD have been identified based on their areas of expertise to assist in moving the recovery efforts downtown forward. This group of local nonprofits has been working closely since the incident to organize and mobilize resources and assistance by individuals and families affected.

Available resources include:

January 1st Food and Essentials Drive-Thru Event for Survivors

• 1 p.m., Community Resource Center, 218 Omohundro Place
The Community Resource Center, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, will be providing essential kits for survivors that will include food, hygiene products and diapers for those in need. The food boxes and essential kits will be available to pick-up during a “Nashville Strong” drive-thru event on Friday, January 1, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Community Resource Center, located at 218 Omohundro Place, Nashville, TN 37210.

• Lutheran Disaster Response will also be on site for emotional and spiritual care providing purposeful listening to survivors overcoming challenges related to disaster recovery.

Additional Resources Available for Survivors

• Nashville Strong Assistance Fund
Catholic Charities will provide assistance to those who live or work in the explosion perimeter area in the historic downtown area, through a specially funded program that will begin Monday, Jan. 4. An online application for assistance will be go live on Friday afternoon, Jan. 1.

The application can be accessed from the following web site: nashvillestrong2021.org. Those who are unable to access the online application can call (615) 352-8591.

• hubNashville
For assistance from Metro Nashville Davidson County Government, affected individuals should visit hub.nashville.gov, use the hubNashville 311 app or call 311.

• Food Assistance
Individuals in need of emergency food assistance can text ‘FEEDS’ to 797979 or
visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org/get-help to access Second Harvest’s Find Food tool to locate the nearest food distribution, including Emergency Food Box sites in Davidson County. For additional assistance, individuals can call 2-1-1.

• Cash Assistance
A limited supply of gift cards, provided by Salvation Army — Nashville Area Command, will be available for immediate cash assistance for those affected. Individuals can receive more information by texting the word ‘STRONG’ to 484848.

• Housing and Immediate Needs
The American Red Cross of Tennessee is providing assistance for those displaced from their home, apartment or townhouse. Those needing assistance should contact the Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS to help with their immediate needs, which may include food, shelter, clothing, health and mental health services, community referrals and recovery assistance.

• Assistance for Spanish Speakers
Spanish speakers affected can call Conexión Americas at (615) 270-9252 for assistance beginning on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.

• Resource and Referral Line
Individuals in need of assistance can contact United Way of Greater Nashville’s 24-hour resource and referral line for help by dialing 211 or visiting 211.org. Note: To qualify for financial assistance, survivors will need to provide proof of employment or residency in the direct impacted area.

How Community Members Can Help

Donate

• United Way of Greater Nashville is partnering with Mayor John Cooper’s office to accept gifts to its Restore the Dream Fund which will provide long-term disaster recovery support to nonprofits for the survivors. People who wish to donate may visit www.unitedwaygreaternashville.org or text RESTORE20 to 41444.

• The Salvation Army – Nashville Area Command believes “we are stronger together” and is assisting survivors with urgent needs of food, transportation, and healthcare through Kroger Gift Cards, UBER Rides and UBER Eats. Gifts can be made in support of this disaster response at www.salvationarmynashville.org.

• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville provides a range of services that help clients through crises and toward self-sufficiency. Services include emergency financial assistance, counseling, job training, housing stability, hunger relief, and more. Gifts in support of their disaster relief efforts can be made at www.cctenn.org.

• The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s Nashville Neighbors Fund, established in partnership with WTVF-NewsChannel5, is accepting gifts to provide services to both the immediate and long-term needs of survivors affected by the Christmas Day tragedy.

• Community Resource Center of Nashville will be actively engaged with long-term recovery efforts to provide basic essentials, clothing, household goods, and is collecting items to assist with debris removal, clean up and first responder needs.

Volunteer

• Hands On Nashville is recruiting volunteers to help with disaster relief and recovery efforts, including cleanup and distribution of essential items to survivors and first responders. Visit hon.org to register as a volunteer or find a disaster-relief project.

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About the Nashville/Davidson County VOAD

The Nashville/Davidson County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) provides the framework for successful preparation and activation of nonprofits and private companies to provide essential augmentations for local government’s capacity and available resources during a disaster. The VOAD is a purposeful mechanism that scales up during crisis, strengthens area-wide disaster coordination, and enhances preparedness by sharing information and engaging in joint training.

The current VOAD steering committee includes:

American Red Cross of Tennessee
Catholic Charities of Tennessee
Community Resource Center
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Conexión Americas
Hands On Nashville
The Housing Fund
Lutheran Disaster Response
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Nashville Humane Association
Salvation Army – Nashville Area Command
Neighbor to Neighbor
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
United Methodist Committee on Relief – Tennessee Conference
United Way of Greater Nashville
Urban League of Middle Tennessee

Updates on the Second Avenue explosion

December 26, 2020Disaster Reliefchristmas day bombing, christmas day explosion, disaster response, Hands On Nashville, nashville bombing, nashville disaster, Nashville Disaster Relief, nashville explosionhandsonnashville

Updated 1.8.20 at 12:36 p.m.

Early on Christmas morning, an explosion rocked downtown Nashville, causing massive damage in the area near 2nd Avenue and Commerce Street. First responders and investigators continue to work in the area. We extend our gratitude to them for their hard work in an already exhausting year!

Officials ask that people steer clear of the area if possible so they can continue to investigate what happened.

Volunteer projects related to the blast recovery will be posted at the link below, and we’ll publish information and updates on social media and in our newsletter.

Many local organizations including HON are working with the Metro government to ensure survivors’ needs are met. Click here to read more about those efforts and the resources available.

Thank you for continuing to be #NashvilleStrong.

Browse 2nd Avenue explosion-related volunteer projects

Other ways to help now

• Make sure your hon.org account is set up to designate you as a disaster volunteer! Click here to learn how to do that for both new and existing hon.org accounts.

• The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has partnered with NewsChannel 5 to establish a fund for survivors and businesses in the area affected by the blast. Click here to donate to the fund.

• The Community Resource Center provides immediate assistance to survivors through food and essential item donations. Click here to donate money or items.

• The Salvation Army – Nashville Area Command is assisting survivors with urgent needs of food, transportation, and healthcare through Kroger Gift Cards, UBER Rides and UBER Eats. Gifts can be made in support of this disaster response at www.salvationarmynashville.org.

• Donate to Box55, a nonprofit that support first responders in the field.

• The Tennessean has a thread where they’re posting ways to help, including a list of online fundraisers for businesses destroyed in the explosion.

• Do you have tips or information about the blast? Click here to access the FBI’s tip line.

How to get help now