This initiative is a project of the National Human Services Assembly and is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.
In It for the Long Haul
The nation is rallying around the communities affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma with an outpouring of support for human service organizations addressing immediate concerns, such as safe food and water, housing, and clothing. Human services will also play a vital role in rebuilding communities over the months and years of the recovery process, but this part of the story can get buried as the nation’s attention naturally shifts over time to other concerns.
Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center after Hurricane Harvey inundated the Texas Gulf coast with rain causing widespread flooding, in Houston. Source: ABC News
In a piece published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Allison Sesso, Executive Director of the Human Services Council of New York, explains the ongoing role human services play in disaster-affected communities. Relying on lessons learned following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Sesso offers practical strategies for equipping human service organizations with the tools and resources needed for immediate and long-term disaster recovery efforts. From a reframing perspective, Sesso makes use of the Construction Metaphor to draw an analogy between rebuilding the infrastructure of communities and rebuilding the well-being of the people living in the affected communities:
“As America begins the long recovery from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, governments and businesses will spend billions of dollars rebuilding infrastructure. But it is the nonprofit world that will play a key role in rebuilding the lives of those affected by the devastating hurricanes.”
We know that the Construction Metaphor helps the public understand what human services are, how underlying systems and conditions contribute to needing access to human services, and how human services foster well-being over the course of a lifetime. It can be a powerful way for organizations to explain the need for continued support after the initial recovery efforts, particularly when shared as part of the broader Building Well-Being Narrative.
Changes to the National Reframing Initiative Team
We have some changes with the National Reframing Initiative team to announce. Ilsa Flanagan has decided to step down from her role as Director of the Initiative in order to pursue other career interests. Ilsa helped launch the National Reframing Initiative and has mobilized community and national leaders across the country to change the conversation about human services. She has been a tremendous asset to this Initiative, as the nearly 4,000 sector leaders trained by Ilsa in the Building Well-Being Narrative can attest to. Please join NHSA in thanking Ilsa for the leadership, energy, and creativity that she brought to the National Reframing Initiative. She can be reached at iflanagan@nassembly.org through the end of the October.
NHSA has tapped Bridget Gavaghan to lead the initiative going forward. Bridget has been a part of the National Reframing Initiative team since 2015, during which time she has led workshops, provided technical assistance to key local and national partners, and developed tools and resources to foster implementation of the reframing recommendations. Bridget is looking forward to taking on an expanded role with the Initiative. She can be reached at bgavaghan@nassembly.org.
We have a robust set of free tools to better equip you integrating this new narrative into your communications strategies.
Contact Us
For more information on how your organization can join the reframing mobilization or for questions about this newsletter, online tools, or website information, please contact Bridget Gavaghan at bgavaghan@nassembly.org.

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