The events of this week on the East Coast are yet another reminder of the important role that our customers play in their communities. Specifically, in response to the devastation of Hurricane Florence, some organizations opened their doors to provide crucial shelter services to the community.
This type of emergency relief effort is invaluable. And wherever you're located in the country, you may find yourself called upon to provide relief if and when a disaster strikes. We support and encourage our customers to act as emergency shelters in a natural disaster if they are fully equipped to do so.
If you plan to open your doors and provide shelter for your community, we'd like to help you create a safe space for those in need.
It’s important to consider the physical and emotional safety for those that enter your doors seeking shelter. When considering physical safety, understand that there is greater potential for sexual abuse and sexual assault to occur, because of the less restricted access to your facility. For emotional safety, consider the children and families who have lost everything. Their emotional needs are much different than they would be in regular programming.
We've prepared a guide for organizations intending to act as emergency shelters to ensure that everyone seeking refuge will be safe. The guide includes information on: