Volunteer Louisiana provides Volunteer Activation Kits to 14 disaster response organizations across Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – As hurricane season becomes more active and Louisiana organizations are on standby to respond to a call for assistance for our neighbors in Florida, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and Volunteer Louisiana are pleased to announce a $100,000 investment in Louisiana’s volunteer infrastructure to address emergency preparedness, response, and recovery right here at home. These funds will provide Volunteer Activation Kits for 14 volunteer organizations across the state. The kits include equipment and supplies to support volunteer recruitment, volunteer support, and volunteer deployment throughout Louisiana in times of disaster.
“In times of disaster, there is one thing we know about Louisiana and its people. We are a resilient state. We pitch in to help our neighbors in their time of need. It is this selflessness and willingness to give back that shows the strength and character of the people of Louisiana. For that reason, we need to ensure our volunteer groups are equipped with everything they need to respond. We also need to make sure there are enough volunteers for an effective response,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
The volunteer organizations selected include 11 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Volunteer Louisiana provides local emergency managers and first responders with resources to form skilled volunteer CERT teams that support disaster preparedness and response in their communities. Funding for CERT training and Volunteer Activation Kits is made possible through the support of the Office of the Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Volunteer Generation Fund, a competitive grant from the AmeriCorps federal agency.
The recipients of the Volunteer Activation Kits are:
- American Red Cross of Louisiana
- Angola Community CERT Team
- Ascension Parish CERT Team
- East Baton Rouge Parish CERT Team
- East Feliciana Parish CERT Team
- Iberia Parish CERT Team
- Livingston Parish CERT Team
- NOLA Ready
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
- St. George Fire Department CERT Team
- Union Parish CERT Team
- University of Louisiana at Monroe Campus CERT Team
- West Feliciana Parish CERT Team
- West Monroe CERT Team
“Investments in volunteer infrastructure are critical to Louisiana’s emergency response capacity, and that starts at the local level,” said Judd Jeansonne, Volunteer Louisiana Executive Director. “We are pleased to help our local partners build resilience in their communities.”
If you are interested in conducting a training in your community, please email Volunteer Louisiana staff at volunteerlouisiana@crt.la.gov.
Volunteer Louisiana, located in the Office of Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, manages 17 AmeriCorps State programs, promotes volunteerism, and coordinates spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers in times of disaster. It is supported by grants from the federal agency, AmeriCorps. To learn more about the AmeriCorps State programs or for more information on Volunteer Louisiana, visit www.VolunteerLouisiana.gov.
