Et cetera : NCCC-FEMA Corps team reflects back on latest project

Alex and Joy pose with emergency preparedness kits

By: Christina Wilbert & Katherine Radam

Hickory 3 has spent the last few months serving with FEMA in Arlington, Virginia. As they are wrapping up their project the team has begun to reflect on what they have accomplished. One highlight was their Martin Luther King Day of service on January 19. On this day Hickory 3 distributed emergency preparedness kits to a neighborhood in Arlington. The team worked alongside Arlington County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and community volunteers to hand out emergency preparedness go-bags and spread awareness on preparing for a crisis.

“I was pleasantly surprised to find that so many of the people we talked to felt prepared for an emergency and hope that this trend is found in other communities” said team leader Blaine Hartsock.

Hickory 3 team members and volunteers went door to door surveying how prepared people felt in the case of a disaster. Neighborhood residents were informed of Arlington Alert, a public emergency alert system, and received emergency preparedness kits. These kits consisted of an emergency water pack, an emergency blanket and other information resources to help them better prepare for a disaster. Through the efforts of Hickory 3 and volunteers, 211 houses were surveyed and 190 go-bags were distributed. It was a great opportunity for Hickory 3 to help the Arlington community determine if they were properly prepare for a disaster.

Hickory 3 is returning to Vinton next week. They will be here for a week before heading out to serve on their last project before graduating in May.