Volunteer Coordination Hacks During Harvey

My experience at the George R Brown Convention Center Mega Shelter during Hurricane Harvey in Houston 2017. I talked how about the importance of basic technology skills as well as process and procedure improvements during disaster relief.

Transcript

1. August 28th to September 1st at GRBCC Simple Volunteer Coordination Hacks at GRBCC
2. Background + Experience August 28th - Arrived at GRB in the afternoon, trained as red cross volunteer. Stayed for 30 hours. 10K evacuees. August 29th (continued) - realized there were actual citizens doing stuff, switched teams and made the Red Cross obsolete and eventually was put in charge of all volunteer intake training distribution for Red Cross + GRB. August 31th - 16 hour shift September 1st - 12 hour shift Various tools and hacks I did to make the American Red Cross obsolete
3. Process and Procedures - Controlling Info + Access Points Controlling points of info distribution: Intake “Training” Signing Out Digital - Airtable, URL Shortener, eztexting.com Physical - T-Shirts + badges for authority Sense of Authority - COH, using structure/bureaucracy
4. Leadership Staying calm and remember you are all working towards the same goal. Was fired 3 times by the Red Cross. Quickly gauge people's abilities and put them in charge - military, small business owners, lawyers, community leaders, teachers, organizers of people. Leadership transitioning and expectations.
5. Additional Challenges Communication between various agencies. Social media, HPD. Volunteer tourism Power hungry people/people not knowing what to do
6. Takeaways American Red Cross lacks leadership and organization… There are always opportunists, they do not detract from the good work MOST people do. People are GOOD. How to help: • http://www.houstontx.gov/ • Volunteerhou.org