Response Information

🟢🟢 You can stay up to date with the ongoing national responses atwww.NVOAD.org and atwww.pavoad.org.   You can get a list of all the FEMA declared disasters here.  . 

🟢🟢 Please remember to report your activities by sending a sit-rep.

🟢🟢 You can read the minutes of the last State-wide Coordination Call here.

The next monthly State-wide Coordination Call will be held Friday, August 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM ET.   Join Zoom Meeting.  Meeting ID: 880 2358 4373.  Passcode: 148762. Be prepared to report your activities and any unmet needs.

🟢🟢 PA VOAD is hosting a weekly Coordination Call for those organizations working in the recent floods and representatives of those communities each Wednesday at 1 PM. We know there are cleanup and long-term recovery needs throughout PA.  Join the call.  Meeting ID: 816 8251 8096 Passcode: 317323.

🟢🟢 Stay in touch with your local and/or regional VOAD/COAD to discover how you can help. 

🟢🟢 And = our neighbors in FEMA Region 3 are asking for help:

  • Maryland VOAD is seeking sawyers.  Their cases are in Crisis Cleanup.  For more information contact: Richard Walton (410-251-5593) or Ellen Udovich (443-250-2555).
  • West Virginia VOAD is responding to recent flooding.  They have opened a Crisis Cleanup event.  Learn more.

🟢🟢 For updated coordination information, please consult our Response Information at https://www.pavoad.org/response-information/.

🟢🟢 Helpful Links:

*   PA DHS has prepared a resource for people who have lost their SNAP benefits due to the severe weather and extended power outages. Learn more..

*    Operations Reports:

FEMA daily operations briefing

PEMA daily operations report

Member agencies of PAVOAD are currently assisting in several responses. We do this in partnership with county departments of emergency services, PEMA, FEMA, and numerous community partners. You can stay up to date with the ongoing national responses at www.NVOAD.org. You can learn more about current needs and coordinated relief efforts here. You can learn more about national efforts from the NLIHC Disaster Housing Recovery Update.   

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Do Not Self-deploy to disaster areas

Trusted VOAD organizations operating in the affected area know where volunteers are needed. Depending on the disaster and the current phase it is in, volunteers can be extremely helpful to ensure survivors can return to their new normal. By working with an established VOAD agencies, the appropriate safety, training and skills can be considered.

Recovery lasts a lot longer than media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months, often many years, after the disaster.  Your help often is needed long after a disaster.

If your organization has active response, please send your situation reports to pavoad3@gmail.com.  You can stay up to date with the ongoing national responses at www.NVOAD.org and at www.pavoad.org.  Local VOAD groups are responding to events throughout the Commonwealth.  You can get a list of all the FEMA declared disasters here.  

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Volunteering is Good for Your Health.

Check out these statistics:

  • Older volunteers in the U.S. experienced a 44% lower mortality rate than those who did not volunteer. (Source: Americorps)
  • Volunteering leads to an 8.54% increase in mental health. (Source: BMC Public Health) 
  • 64% of employees who volunteer said it improved work relationships. (Source: United Health Group)

For more information, click volunteering statistics. 

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COORDINATION OF EFFORTS:

It is important that PEMA and PAVOAD know about your efforts in all phases of disaster. Therefore,

  • Continued Coordination – If any of our PA VOAD organizations are engaged in planning (touching base with county EMs, COADs, or other support partners) or support (feeding, sheltering, needs collection, etc.) activities, please complete this sit/rep form. (This is a public-facing form.) If you have specific details to share within our network, please email them to pavoad3@gmail.com and paval@pa.gov.   
  • Information/Status – If the CRCC is activated, PAVOAD will be there.  When there are reports of communities being affected, PAVOAD and PEMA will want to know how our organizations are engaged.  Early in the process PAVOAD members such as PA 211, Salvation Army, and the American Red Cross will be asked about their activities.  All PAVOAD members should be prepared to report their activities.
  • Escalation and Coordination – Depending on the extent of the event, you can anticipate PAVOAD holding Coordination Calls as necessary.  Notification will be made via email and the PAVOAD Update.
  • Who to Contact:  Click on this link for a list of PAVOAD Board members and regional leaders, as well as PEMA contacts.
  • PA VOAD conducts a state-wide Coordination Call each 2nd Friday of the month at 9 AM ET. If you would like to join the call, but don’t have the call in information, please request the link by emailing pavoad3@gmail.com.