The October edition of the Maryland VOAD Newsletter is now available. Find it here and sign up to receive additional newsletters each month to your inbox.
Do you have an update, event, or announcement to share with the rest of Maryland VOAD? Send your information and pictures to CommunicationsCoordinator@MarylandVOAD.org to be shared on our social media or by the 25th of each month to be included in the next newsletter issue.
Missed last month’s Newsletter? Find it here!
Check out the upcoming events below:
| DATES | Conference or Training Event | Location and Registration |
| 2024 Date varies by location | Central MD American Red Cross Training | Schedule and Registration |
| SAVE THE DATE! March 30-April 1, 2025 | 2025 Regional VOAD Meeting | Cacapon Resort Berkeley Springs, WV |
| SAVE THE DATE! May 19-22, 2025 | 2025 National VOAD Conference | The Galt House Louisville, KY |
HELP NEEDED: Clean-Up Buckets Needed
Church World Service (CWS) needs more Clean-Up Bucket Kits: CWS, a Maryland VOAD member, requests your help to gather clean-up buckets.
Zach Wolgemuth, the CWS Director of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, reported that as of this morning, the organization has authorized/shipped “3,296 Emergency Cleanup Buckets valued at $247,200 and 4,360 Hygiene Kits valued at $65,400 to partners in the impacted region. Additional requests for kits and blankets are coming in almost daily. Unfortunately, the Emergency Cleanup Bucket inventory is less than 1,000 buckets in inventory.”
Can you put together bucket kits that can be sent to help survivors? More information is at https://cwskits.org/assemble-kits.
Kits can be delivered in Maryland at:
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main St., PO Box 188
New Windsor, MD 21776
Monday-Friday 7:30 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 4 pm
Contact: Glenna Thompson (410) 635-8797
Progress continues to be made in Crisfield and Somerset County. Considering year-end spending in a community project making a huge impact – consider the Adopt A Home Program.
Review the Project Status.
Consider making a DONATION before the year ends.
National Preparedness Month is observed in September each year. While that special observance is over – Maryland VOAD encourages all members, partners and friends to remain ready.
Visit Ready.gov to access preparedness materials in multiple languages and build your own Basic Disaster Supplies Kit.
Disaster can strike at any time so Remain Ready.
Crisis Cleanup invites Maryland VOAD members and partners to recruit Phone Center Volunteers.
Crisis Cleanup (www.crisiscleanup.org) is a website tool and hotline used throughout the US. It connects disaster survivors who need property cleanup assistance with volunteers who can help. The hotline is staffed by volunteers like you who work from home as they have time.
Download the full description to share with those interested to serve.
Email Gina Newby at gina@crisiscleanup.org for more information.
The Maryland Department of Emergency Management, the Department of Information Technology, and the Maryland State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) Planning Committee, announced they will be releasing another funding opportunity through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. The application period will begin Tuesday, September 3, 2024, and will end Thursday, October 3, 2024.
What is the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)?
Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress established the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) to “award grants to eligible entities to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state, local, or tribal governments.” The SLCGP provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to SLTT-owned or operated information systems.
Who is eligible to apply for funding?
All local governments in Maryland are eligible to apply. “Local governments” are defined as a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; and a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity. “Rural” area is defined as an area encompassing a population of less than 50,000 people that has not been designated in the most recent decennial census as an “urbanized area” by the Secretary of Commerce (i.e., counties and jurisdictions within counties with a population of 50,000 or less).
What can the funding be used for?
Funds can be used towards cybersecurity projects and services that promote cyber resilience, in accordance with CISA’s and the SLCGP Committee’s priorities outlined in the Maryland SLCGP plan. Grant funding will be awarded based on statutory requirements, demonstrated need, quality of the application, and the ability to maintain federal and state grant compliance.
What are the next steps?
For more information on the SLCGP Application process, please visit the Cyber Preparedness Unit’s funding page or email slcgp.info@maryland.gov.
SAVE THE DATE! March 30 – April 1, 2025
Location: Cacapon State Park, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Theme: Beyond Band-Aids: Dismantling Systemic Inequities that Fuel Disaster Vulnerability
The Planning Committee is pleased to invite you, your corporation, business, or organization to become a Conference Sponsor. Your sponsorship can be financial and/or support in planning and delivering the conference. Review the 2025 Mid-Atlantic VOADs Regional Conference Sponsorship Opportunities Fact Sheet for additional information.
Conference sponsorship opportunities include an overall corporate Conference sponsor, sponsors for specific events such as breaks, breakfasts, lunches, or possibly dinner on the first night. Non-financial support can include assistance in producing conference materials and staffing support during the conference.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss potential sponsorship, contact Clifford Oliver, Ph.D., CEM, CBCP, member of the Conference Planning Committee and Sponsorship Chair at coliver@nanticokeglobal.com or (302) 470-0535.
For additional information, go to: Regional Conference
A special thanks to volunteers from the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) assisted homeowners with tornado and flood damage following severe weather in June. Volunteers ranged in age from a 15-year-old picking up sticks to a chainsaw-wielding 70-year-old grandfather.
In a good demonstration of teamwork, emergency managers from Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Baltimore and Harford counties reached out to Maryland VOAD to request help on behalf of county residents impacted by the storm. While the counties promoted the Crisis Cleanup hotline, VOAD’s Kim Hopkins received the calls and posted case information to the Crisis Cleanup dashboard. The disaster response coordinator from the BCM/D contacted homeowners to arrange damage survey visits and schedule volunteers to do the work. Some homeowners recruited friends or provided cold water on hot, hot days. Overall, it was a good example of partnership in action!
