Established in Glynn & McIntosh Counties to Assist Past and Future Response and Recovery.
After two weather disasters hit our community within one calendar year, multiple Glynn County organizations gathered together in October 2017 to establish the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) of Coastal Georgia. The newly formed organization joins over 100 member organizations across the nation following the guidelines and policies provided by the National VOAD umbrella.
The VOAD of Coastal Georgia includes social service and faith-based organizations, private non-profits, business services, and governmental agencies and will serve both Glynn and McIntosh counties. They have formed committees with focus areas including developing a community needs assessment, case management of those in need, fundraising, and construction and re-building.
VOAD of Coastal Georgia collaborates with groups such as the Salvation Army, Inspiritus, and World Renew. As part of its mission, when disaster strikes, the organization provides teams of long-term recovery experts that help communities throughout the state.
In July of 2018, VOAD of Coastal Georgia secured the resources of World Renew Disaster Response Services, who conducted a needs assessment throughout our community. World Renew is a global, Christian-based organization with a mission to “renew hope, reconcile lives, and restore creation.” Their team identified and prioritized those people and communities who still need help to restore homes and lives following the two consecutive disasters suffered in Glynn and McIntosh.
VOAD of Coastal Georgia will continue to collaborate with community partners, such as Glynn County’s Emergency Management Agency, to plan for future events. And, VOAD will be reaching out to new partners for funding, building supplies, recovery expertise and mental and spiritual support that many in our community are still very much in need of.
For more information, go to the VOAD of Coastal Georgia Facebook page established at facebook.com/CoastalGAVOAD or call the UWCGA Director of Community Impact, Janelle Harvey, at 912-265-1850.