Opportunity Details
TeamWorks: The Zombies are Coming! Dig into Disaster Preparedness (age 18+)
Warning! Zombies are coming! Zombies are coming! … Okay, maybe not. But even if we don’t have to prepare for zombie attacks, earthquakes, floods, storms, hazardous material accidents, blackouts, terrorist attacks, and pandemics all have the potential to bring the city to a standstill for days. Yet, even though we watch broadcast after broadcast of Americans battling disasters like the Oklahoma tornadoes or California wildfires or Super Storm Sandi, only 17% of Americans are prepared for a natural disaster.
So what does it take to survive a zombie apocalypse – or a disaster of any kind - not only as an individual but as a community? During this TeamWorks, we will explore the Rose City’s disaster risks and effective strategies to ensure that our entire community stays safe in times of trouble.
We'll work a food-packing shift at Oregon Food Bank, which is part of the network of organizations that are poised to organize food and distribute food to victims in times of disaster. The American Red Cross will help us begin thinking about our own personal disaster plans and preparedness. At Bud Clark Commons, we'll prepare and serve a meal to folks experiencing homelessness and take a moment to think about how a disaster may affect our city's disadvantaged communities. We'll hear from a NET representative about how the City of Portland is preparing for possible disasters and learn about the NET program itself -- Neighborhood Emergency Teams made up of trained community members who are poised to respond to disasters immediately, until professional responders are able to arrive. Finally, we'll all go through the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management’s two hour online Basic Preparedness Training and take a quiz as the first step in becoming NET members ourselves!
If you've ever been curious to dig into Disaster Preparedness (or you simply want to be prepared when the zombies arrive), this is the team for you!
Please note: All TeamWorks members are asked to pay an administrative fee of $10 at the first project to confirm your participation on the team and help keep the TeamWorks program running. Scholarships are available upon request.
What is TeamWorks? TeamWorks teams consist of approximately 10-15 individuals, led by a Hands On trained volunteer leader, who commit to volunteering for every project in the series, so please carefully check the schedule below before signing up! Signing up for the FIRST session will sign you up for the entire TeamWorks. If you know in advance you'd have to miss one of the projects, let us know and you might still be eligible to join the team. Questions can be directed to Catherine Moore, TeamWorks Leader, by using the "Email Opportunity Leader" link in the grey box at the end of the page.
Team Schedule:
Session One: Pack Food at Oregon Food Bank
Saturday June 22th, 9:00am - 1:30pm, NE Portland
The Oregon Food Bank is the hub of a statewide network of 870 hunger-relief agencies, distributing food to 20 regional food banks across Oregon. During a disaster they collect and distribute food to victims. We will unpack and sort donated food destined for agencies that directly serve low income people in Oregon as we learn more about how the food bank operates and it’s role during disasters. Please wear closed-toed, closed-heeled shoes, and clothing you wouldn't mind getting a little dirty.
After the food bank, we will head up the street to the Kennedy School for lunch, where we'll discuss disaster preparedness and how disasters will affect the ability of people, particularly low income individuals and families, to get basic necessities.
Session Two: Get Prepared with the Oregon Trail Red Cross
Tuesday June 25th, 6:00pm-8:30pm, N Portland
The Red Cross is one of the leading groups helping communities prepare for disasters. We will attend a one hour presentation on how to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters by making personal disaster plans, establishing family meeting places and addressing emergency communication strategies. Afterwards, we will discuss what we learned and each team member will share three key facts about one aspect of disaster preparedness that they have researched to broaden our view of the topic.
Session Three: Prepare and Serve a Meal at Bud Clark Commons
Wednesday, July 3rd, 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Downtown/Old Town
How would a disaster impact our community members who are already struggling with a lack of permanent housing? For this session, we'll meet up at Bud Clark Commons, an innovative new space serving Portland's homeless population, to prepare and serve a meal to the clients at the commons. Volunteers will be asked to bring ingredients to contribute to the meal and the group will prepare dinner on-site (we'll let you know in advance what ingredients to bring). After the project, we'll walk up to grab some post-project ice cream and discuss how organizations like Bud Clark Commons could be positioned to best serve its clients in a time of disaster.
Session Four: Conversation with Jeremy Van Keuran, NET team coordinator
Tuesday, July 9th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm, Downtown Portland
We will meet with Jeramy Van Keuran who will tell us about Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs). Portland residents are trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. We will learn about the program and how the city is planning to respond in an emergency.
Session Five: Basic Preparedness Training with PBEM & Team Wrap-Up
Saturday, July 13th, 1:00pm - 4:00pm, Location TBD
We will complete the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management’s two hour online Basic Preparedness Training and take the quiz that is the first step in becoming a NET member. We will also wrap up the Team Works and talk about next steps for being prepared as both individuals and as a city.
Project Requirements:
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Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to attend this project.
Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot on the team! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355.
Age Minimum (with Adult): 18+, Minimum Age:18+
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