| GAVOAD: Partnership Before, During, and After Disaster
How GAVOAD Serves Its Membership: History: Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (GAVOAD) is a coalition of voluntary organizations that have a mission before, during, and after disasters that occur in Georgia. After Hurricane Camille in 1969, many national voluntary organizations shared their mutual concern about the lack of coordination between their agencies. Representatives of the voluntary organizations began meeting regularly to share their respective activities, concerns, and frustrations. Their goal was, and still is, to jointly minimize duplication of effort and more efficiently manage activities during disasters. GAVOAD was formed to expand this movement of interagency cooperation, coordination, communication, and collaboration to Georgia. Today, GAVOAD is the primary forum used by the voluntary organizations in Georgia to coordinate activities with each other. Organization: GAVOAD voting members are organizations with a statewide disaster response and/or relief and recovery mission. GAVOAD recognizes local VOAD�s as nonvoting members to provide local voluntary organizations an opportunity to work together. GAVOAD also accepts government and corporate entities as nonvoting partners. GAVOAD is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation governed by a Board of Directors. GAVOAD meets quarterly. GAVOAD is NOT a service delivery organization. GAVOAD supports its members independent relief and recovery services by providing a forum for voluntary organizations active in disaster to practice the four C�s: � Cooperation � encouraging working together and information exchange � Coordination � fostering understanding and providing a liaison with public offices � Communication � providing information to members and the general public through audio-visual, print and electronic means including newsletters, PowerPoint programs, brochures, electronic discussion lists, and websites � Collaboration � encouraging members to work in partnership with each other and with other associations through joint seminars, board meetings, conferences, training programs, and meetings before, during, and after disasters GAVOAD provides its members with a strong liaison and a common voice with state emergency management, including a seat in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. � GAVOAD Conference Calls � provide an opportunity for all GAVOAD and local VOAD agencies and partners involved in a particular incident to talk with each other and coordinate their work. � Joint Training � combines the resources and efforts of GAVOAD members and partners to provide multiple opportunities to train together through conferences and exercises. Joint agency volunteer training brings in state and national experts to speak on issues of joint concern including communications, case management, response and recovery skills, and many other subjects. � Joint Information Efforts � put GAVOAD members in front of emergency managers and other public officials on a regular basis throughout the year with forums, booths, and other efforts to jointly inform emergency managers and the public about the capabilities of all the state and local VOAD partner organizations. � Annual NVOAD Conference � GAVOAD annually provides scholarships to send member and VOAD leaders to the annual National VOAD Conference to network and learn from other state and national VOAD leaders. Publications and Resources GAVOAD, in partnership with NVOAD produces resources for state and local members that are available in print or are downloadable from the NVOAD website. � VOAD Pamphlets and PowerPoint � help state and local VOAD members explain the VOAD concept to government, response and recovery agency leaders, potential new members and partners and the public in general. Through NVOAD, GAVOAD provides templates for these resources that allow local VOADs to �personalize� the program for their specific area with a professional look that is consistent in design with both the NVOAD and GAVOAD programs � Design for Success � an NVOAD leadership tool that details the goals any VOAD should strive for and methods for achieving those goals � Long-Term Recovery Manual � an NVOAD tool to assist state and local VOAD leaders with preparing for cooperative long-term recovery work � Volunteer Management Manual � an NVOAD tool to assist state and local VOAD leaders with preparing for the cooperative management of both affiliated and unaffiliated volunteers. |
 |