Hope after the storm.
We can’t provide everything, but we can provide something to alleviate suffering from these devastating personal disasters.
What we do
We seek out and offer help to those who find themselves in this bleak situation.
Not all require help. Some have a family or church groups that provide needed assistance. However, there are many that desperately need the help.
We offer various types of support.
A friendly face.
We seek to be there, at their burned home, any time of the day or night. We know that having someone there with experience is a great help and comfort. Often the visit and friendship is as beneficial as anything else.
Necessities.
We help them with necessities including lodging, clothes, food, and even toiletries and other needed items.
Information.
Not surprisingly, no one plans on suffering a house fire and therefore are blindsided by the medical, financial and emotional impacts. We provide information on what they are about to face including resources to help them feel a little more in control of their lives.
How we do it
We do this through donations of monetary, in-kind services, and volunteers.
Monetary Donations
Often the easiest to provide and by far the most flexible for us are the monetary donations. Whether through individuals or end-of-the-tax-year corporation donations, these are key to our success.
In-Kind Donations
In-kind donations are something a business has or does in their normal operations that would benefit our survivors. For example a service that notifies companies when a fire occurs provides notifications to us as an in-kind donation. Allowing us to be at the scene as soon as possible.
Other in-kind donations could include clothes, bags, toiletry items, and other physical items.
Volunteers
We love volunteers. We use volunteers to help us organize donations and even help us deliver services.
Volunteers can also run their own fundraisers for us in their schools, work places, and communities.
Why We Do It
It is hard for us to imagine anyone watching people go through the loss of everything and not feel like helping in any way they can. We know that is how we feel. The devastation and the hopelessness is real, any little help gives them a sense that people do care, that there is hope out there. We also love the grateful smiles of those who have been helped and have seen them turn around and help others. We founded Disaster Victim Services to provide a way for businesses and individuals to give freely and also to provide a means for those that have been helped to help others.