Volunteers

Tras el paso de los huracanes Helene y Milton, las comunidades se enfrentaron a enormes retos al iniciar el largo camino de recuperación. Cuando ocurren desastres, uno de los primeros grupos en entrar en acción son los voluntarios y las organizaciones de voluntariado. Estas organizaciones se unen para apoyar a las comunidades desde los esfuerzos de respuesta a corto plazo hasta la recuperación a largo plazo.

In the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton, communities faced daunting challenges as they began the long road to recovery. When disasters happen, one of the first groups to jump into action are volunteers and voluntary organizations. These organizations rally to support communities from short-term response efforts to long-term recovery. Collaboration with these organizations is key to understanding the needs of survivors, avoiding duplication of efforts and maximizing the impact of our combined efforts. FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) are the people that make these connections possible.

National Volunteer Week is April 21-27, and serves as an excellent reminder to honor the contributions of volunteers across the country. Volunteers contribute to their communities in various ways, dedicating their time, skills and resources to numerous causes and organizations. They are also key partners to response and recovery efforts after a disaster.

One week since President Biden declared a major disaster declaration for the state of Hawaii in the wake of the devastating wildfires, the Biden-Harris Administration and voluntary agencies provided survivors with immediate needs such as food, water and shelter and approved millions of dollars in disaster relief.

The mission of FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) is to establish, foster, and maintain relationships among government, voluntary, faith-based, and community partners. Through these relationships, the VALs support the delivery of inclusive and equitable services and empower and strengthen capabilities of communities to address disaster-caused unmet needs.