Natural Disaster Relief and Community Resiliency Program
Our hearts go out to all the individuals and families affected by Hurricane Florence. We know that YWCAs along the path of devastation are providing essential services in the communities they serve. And when our YWCAs are impacted by a natural disaster, their services are impaired and sometimes suspended all together. At YWCA USA our goal is to ensure local associations can return to delivering critical services as quickly as possible and continue to build capacity and community resilience to address future disasters. YWCA USA has developed an infrastructure to respond to these events and support our YWCAs as they rebuild.
In recent years, weather patterns have increased the frequency and intensity of climate activities such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires, as well as looming potential earthquakes. Given the U.S. territorial reach and our YWCA associations located in 46 States and the District of Columbia, there is a high probability that many of our associations will continue to be impacted by natural disasters. If impacted, YWCA USA stands committed to supporting our network in the wake of natural disasters and stand with the community of women and families whose lives are impacted. The road to recovery is often long and complex, your help is needed to support our efforts, programs and the communities we serve.
YWCA USA Natural Disaster Relief & Community Resiliency Program will help support and strengthen our YWCA network by having a system in place to provide rapid-response services, technical assistance and financial support to our service-delivery network when a natural disaster occurs in a YWCA community. This program will fulfill YWCA USA’s role as a solution-focused operation capable of delivering timely assistance to our associations. This program will help associations in the following three areas of operations:
- Collective Mission Impact: Organizing and supporting efforts of all local associations to achieve mission-based social change.
- Capacity Building: Designed to strengthen the governance, management, effectiveness and financial sustainability of local associations.
- Financial Resources: Initiatives and training to increase financial resources to local associations.
RCRP will support our local associations to support a holistic path to recovery. First and foremost, our concern is providing financial resources to ensure an impacted YWCA can be a safe secure space for the community and return to providing essential services. RCRP will offer loans and grants to repair physical damage to facilities, replenish needed supplies, and provide for temporary locations. More importantly, YWCA USA wants to invest in the capacity of a YWCA community to respond and recover from a natural disaster by building community resiliency. YWCA USA aims to build capacity to mitigate the impacts of future (and likely inevitable) natural disasters by providing programs and services that address the emotional and social impact on individuals and the community.
If you would like to partner with YWCA USA to support this national program, contact Tycely Williams.
If you are a YWCA local association that has been affected by a natural disaster, click here for information funding.
The mission of the YWCA network is tied directly to serving vulnerable and disproportionately impacted populations. In the wake of a natural disaster, the services provided by our network are key to disaster relief and community resilience. YWCA USA, through our network of local associations, serve 2.2 million women and girls. Our focus in addressing health and safety issues is central to work that takes place every day at local associations across the country. YWCA services are designed for each YWCA community, with an emphasis on serving those most in need. YWCA associations have proven to be trusted entities in their communities. As such, women and their families come to YWCAs in times of transition for safe housing, career guidance and job training. In the wake of a natural disaster, the services provided by our network are key to disaster relief and community resilience.
Thank you for your interest and support in YWCA’s Natural Disaster Relief and Community Resiliency Program.