WOW, we just got back from the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster or (VOAD) conference in Portland, Ore. What a day, the guest speakers, the vendors, and the volunteers. Its held at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, and is a great mix of everyone concerned with offering assistance during a natural or manmade disaster. This type of eclectic mix of first responders and others makes this years annual conference well worth attending.
FYI: The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that serves as the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle—preparation, response, recovery and mitigation—to help communities prepare for and recover from disasters.
The National VOAD coalition includes over 50 of the country’s most reputable national organizations (faith-based, community-based and other non-governmental organizations) and 55 State/Territory VOADs, which represent Local/Regional VOADs and hundreds of other member organizations throughout the country.
