Help Desk Ready for Hurricane Season

by Gerald McSwiggan

If the last several weeks have been any indication, we could be in for a very busy disaster season. The U.S. alone is in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, as well as the season for wildfires and tornadoes.

Credit the Office Depot Foundation for having the foresight to fund a program that activates a disaster Help Desk for businesses to support recovery in areas affected by disasters.

The Help Desk has already been activated three times in 2008. From Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar to the Sichuan Earthquake in central China to the tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest, BCLC has enabled communication, coordination, and collaboration among responders and business donors in response to these disasters.

The Need
When disasters strike, small businesses and local chambers often don't know where to turn for help. They don't know what recovery resources are available to them or how they can help their communities.

Furthermore, business donors often lack information about what is happening on the ground and how to support disaster victims in the most effective way. 

To address these challenges, BCLC created the National Disaster Help Desk for Business (1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP), with the assistance of the Office Depot Foundation.

Activated in the U.S. Midwest
In response to the flooding in the Midwest, Ines Pearce, who manages BCLC's Help Desk, traveled with the SBA to Iowa to work with the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, and the Iowa state business liaison.

BCLC, with the help of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and support from the UPS Foundation and Office Depot Foundation, sent a team of experts into Cedar Rapids to conduct an economic-impact assessment. Preliminary findings from the study will be unveiled on July 15. The information is valuable for donor companies, corporate foundations, local chambers, and humanitarian aid organizations that seek to assist the Iowa communities with their long-term recovery needs.

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Comments

[peter]

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peter
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