How To: Organize A Disaster Relief Zone

You can’t stop a natural disaster from wreaking havoc on your community—but you can help your area during the aftermath by providing support through a disaster relief zone!

1. Find a Location. You need to find a space big enough to hold donations. Set up in a church basement, parking lot, catering hall, sports field or school gym.
2. Get Volunteers. The more the merrier! Tell your friends and family about your idea of setting up a relief zone, and have them give you and your community a helping hand.
3. Assign Positions. You are going to need someone to accept and organize the donations, to help people find items they need, and to give out cooked food and drinks.
4. Advertise. Whether people want to donate or need a warm meal, make sure they know you are there. Make a Facebook page and Twitter account, and post flyers in churches, schools and supermarkets.
5. Team Up. When there is a disaster, many businesses will want to lend their support. Go to a local catering service, restaurant or deli, and ask if they could donate cooked food and drinks.
6. Inform People. Make statuses on Facebook and Twitter to keep people updated. Let them know exactly which donations your relief zone is accepting (non-perishable foods, water, clothes, cleaning supplies, etc.), what time breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served, and more!

Create a disaster kit for your home. GO

- Teresa Roca is a NYC writer who is obsessed with celebrities, sports and movies. Her favorite cause is bullying and violence.