Storm fast approaching, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Volunteers received formal notification and asked to deploy

Yesterday, we asked the question, "Should there be greater awareness of a single point for all volunteers to go to, such as http://www.1800volunteer.org/?"

Within 12 hours of posting Outside Looking In, Lessons Learned Before A Disaster and being requested not to self deploy, several of us have been requested to deploy to help with shelter operations for Hurricane Gustav.

How did they find us? What can you do to get involved?

http://www.helpindisaster.org/

The website is powered by 1-800-Volunteer.org A service of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network.

Visit http://www.helpindisaster.org/ to register your skills, interests, and availability.

HelpInDisaster.org also provides the following guidance for volunteering in a disaster:

AVOID:

• Do not call organizations in the disaster area. Why?
• Do not travel to the disaster area. Why?

Remember even if there are opportunities listed, do not self deploy to these assignments, unless you receive formal notification.

If you are requested to deploy, please send us your experiences, so we can share them with other readers.

Visit 1-800-Volunteer.org to discover other non-disaster related volunteer opportunities with local and Volunteer Centers across the country.