R³SM

If asked on February 9, 2013 to describe her life, Angela Rogers would have said overall life is good.  However, on February 10, life changed dramatically for the Rogers family. The Rogers' residence received so much damage from the tornado that hit our area, the home became temporarily uninhabitable. Several gaping holes in the roof resulted in water damage to the ceilings, interior walls and numerous electrical problems.  Rogers, who does not have any income due to a medical condition that prohibits her from working, suddenly found her living situation to be dangerous and unsafe. Rogers's mother graciously allowed her, her nephew, his wife and their 9-month-old son to reside with her until it could be determined how repairs could possibly be made to her home. Although her nephew and his wife had a combined income of $800.00 per month at that time, Rogers still was awaiting a determination on her application for disability.

With no income and no homeowners' insurance, Rogers experienced much stress in seeking assistance to repair her home. That was until Rogers was contacted by a case manager from R³SM (Recover, Rebuild, Restore Southeast Mississippi), who assisted her with the application process to get her home repaired.  Rogers's name was given to R³SM by FEMA.  It was included on a list of 1,617 people who were affected by the tornado.  Because of Rogers's dire need, her case was funded with recovery disaster grant funds provided by The First.  All repairs were completed this past June by volunteers from the First United Methodist Church of Fayetteville, TN, at no cost to Rogers.  This group of wonderful volunteers repaired Rogers's entire tin roof, ceilings and electrical damages. Rogers and her family are very appreciative for all the assistance provided in restoring her home.  When she was asked how life is today, her answer is once again, "life is good."

Volunteer Hattiesburg has grown from a Leadership Pinebelt concept and project in 2012 to a functional, skills-based online clearinghouse for volunteers and voluntary agencies! Fourteen agencies and volunteer opportunities for over 400 participants are registered.

Through all the challenges our communities have faced in recent years due to the recession, high unemployment and natural disasters, our community's spirit of volunteerism remains strong and even growing.  It is this spirit and interest that is driving the development of Volunteer Hattiesburg.  Individuals and businesses from all sectors of the community are stepping up to serve by offering professional advice on strategy, finance and operations to agencies or by being a willing, hands-on project participant in increments from 15 minutes to multiple hours.  These flexible time commitments provide engagement opportunities for business people, students, trades people, job seekers or those looking to get their life back on track.  Whether you repair a house, read to a child, clean up a park, help out at a soup kitchen or share intellectual expertise, you make the difference in our community. 

Volunteers - let Volunteer Hattiesburg help you find your passion and be the difference! Agencies - let us help find creative ways volunteers can accomplish your mission! 

Businesses - let us help you create/grow a company-sponsored volunteer program that will boost your business and social return!

For more information, call 601.450.0025, visit www.volunteerhattiesburg.org or email info@volunteerhattiesburg.org.

The Domestic Abuse Family Shelter recently received a call from the Lumberton Police Department indicating there was a Chinese woman and her young child at the police station. The woman had been badly beaten, and her abuser was about to bond out of jail. The woman was terrified. A shelter representative was about to dirve to pick up the woman when the Lumberton police officer called back. The officer said that the situation was so dangerous that she would transport the mother and child to Hattiesburg and meet the shelter staff there. They arrived shortly afterward, and the woman and child were brought to the shelter.  The staff called a local church to obtain a translator. Through the translator, it was discovered that the woman had been given enough money to fly to Chicago, where she had family.  The woman was convinced that her abuser knew this and would attempt to stop her at the Jackson airport.  The shelter worker contacted the Jackson airport and notified security of the situation.  She then transported the woman and her child to the airport.  The airport was covered by many security officers, and no incident occurred.  The woman and her child safely flew to Chicago.  The Lumberton police officer had been trained by the Domestic Abuse Family Shelter staff not long before this happened. It was her quick-thinking and the quick-thinking of the staff member that insured their safety. Thanks to Domestic Abuse Family Shelter and the support it receives from your United Way donations, lives are saved every day!

The American Red Cross recently launched the Team Red Cross App, which allows people to sign up to help, get an overview of basic tasks and receive notifications about Red Cross disaster volunteer opportunities in their community. It is the seventh in a series of highly successful Red Cross apps, which are now on more than 3 million mobile devices across the country. A recent Red Cross survey shows that apps are now tied with social media as the fourth most popular way to get information during emergencies-behind TV, radio and online news sites. Nearly one-fifth of Americans say they have received some kind of emergency information from an app they have downloaded, making the Red Cross apps an important way for the public to get ready for disasters.

The Team Red Cross App can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps. For complete details, visit http://ow.ly/1ZCIFM.

- - - 

Is your business or organization prepared for emergency? If you're like most of us, the answer is no, you're not as prepared as you would like to be. That's why Red Cross has created the Ready Rating, a first-of-its kind membership program designed to help businesses, organizations and schools become better prepared for emergencies. Members join this free, self-paced program and complete a 123-point self-assessment to reveal areas of improvement. Learn more and get started now!.