To ensure we are even more ready to respond to major disasters in the United States, we have now members of New York chapter of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), which coordinates the relief work of organizations following disasters. But, we aren’t stopping there. We are also pursuing membership with the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, which will allow Malteser International Americas to join more than 100 other organizations across the country in national disaster response.

We are very familiar with responding to disasters on U.S. soil. Our responses to Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, Florence, and Michael over the last two years underscored the importance of our role in second-phase response. This phase exemplifies our mission to serve the most vulnerable after the first responders have left. We pick up the pieces, fill in the gaps, and provide relief to the frequently forgotten.

The fact is that we don’t know when the next disaster will hit, but our ever-increasing response capabilities allow us to mitigate the devastating consequences of a large-scale disaster with even more confidence.