The Union College Red Cross Club was called into action to manage a multi-agency warehouse in Omaha for donations coming in from around the country for victim's of the March flooding across Nebraska.
Union College Red Cross Club members, mostly international rescue and relief students and faculty, used their disaster management training to get the warehouse up and running, and will continue to manage volunteers and accept, organize and distribute donations over the coming weeks.
Rick Young, director of Union's IRR program and Disaster Relief Coordinator for Kansas-Nebraska Adventist Community Services, wanted to give his students the opportunity to put their classroom learning to work in a large-scale disaster situation.
"Our students help out with Red Cross calls on a regular basis, but those are usually structure fires that involve a single family or a few families," said Young. "The floods are impacting many hundreds of people across the state and managing a donations warehouse is something that our students learn how to do in the classroom, but don't always get to experience first-hand."
As donations began to pour in from local sources and around the country, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) asked the Nebraska Volunteers Organizations Active in Disasters (NEVOAD) to manage donations. Per an agreement with both NEMA and NEVOAD, Kansas-Nebraska Adventist Community Services is responsible for managing donated goods for a warehouse used jointly by many other agencies including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
To support the work of the Adventist Community Services warehouse in Nebraska, you can donate funds at acsdonate.maxgiving.com/pay/step_1. Be sure to designate "disaster response" and enter "Nebraska flooding" in the comments.
About the Union College international rescue and relief program
The Union College international rescue and relief program prepares students for careers in public safety, community development, and the medical field. The program combines rigorous coursework and a variety of emergency and disaster management certifications with hands-on training such as wilderness survival and rescue in Colorado, and an overseas semester learning about global health in a developing nation. Learn more at ucollege.edu/irr
[Update March 25, 2019]
While the donations warehouse does not need additional staffing at this time, they do need a wide variety of items as they continue to support flood victims.
Please drop off donation items (new only) to the multi-agency warehouse located at 8457 W Center Road in Omaha on Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Warehouse manager Rick Young says the following items are needed (bold items are in highest demand):
- Adult diapers
- Adult over the counter pharmaceuticals
- Baby food
- Baby formula
- Baby wipes
- Bathroom kits (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, razors, etc)
- Blanket/comforter/bed spread (NEW)
- Bleach/OxyClean
- Body Soap/Wash/Cleaners
- Buckets/pails—5 gallon
- Cat food
- Cat litter
- Clean up kits (5 gallon bucket, work gloves, sponge, plastic tarps, bottle of Proclean, dust masks, broom)
- Cleaners/disinfect/sanitize/deodorize/soften
- Cleaning rags/towels/wipes
- Deodorant
- Detergents (laundry/dishwashing)
- Diapers disposable
- Dog food
- Dust masks
- Eye care products
- Facial tissues
- Feminine hygiene products
- First aid kits
- First Aid Supplies
- Garden tools (shovels/rakes/axes)
- Gloves for cleaning
- Gloves for work
- Hair combs/brushes/accessories
- Juices
- Misc. animal care items
- Mixed nonperishable foods
- Mops/brooms/dust Pans
- Paper towels
- Peanut butter
- Personal care kits
- Personal wipes
- Respiratory PPE
- Snacks/Crackers/Chips/Cookies/Bars/CandySoft/Sport/Energy Drinks
- Sponges/Scrubbers (heavy duty)
- Toilet paper
- Tools (powered)
- Trash/Garbage Bags
- Water Smaller Than 1 liter
- Water—1 liter
- Water—3 liters
- Water—5 liters