2. Maryland VOAD – Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Register for volunteer opportunities with the Disaster Aid Response Team (DART), here.

Donate and serve wisely to help disaster victims. Visit the Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) for a list of private and nonprofit agencies active in disaster relief, here.

The State of Maryland encourages everyone to contribute wisely to disaster recovery efforts. Consider the following before you donate goods, money, or your time:

• Financial contributions are preferred.
• Cash donations help to avoid the labor and expense of sorting, packing, transporting, and distributing donated goods, and voluntary relief agencies use cash to meet victims’ specific needs more quickly.
• Relief agencies prefer the versatility of cash donations; however, some have the infrastructure in place to store and distribute donated goods. To prevent waste, donations of goods should be made only to agencies that have requested specific items.
• Donors should be wary of anyone who claims that “everything” is needed. Many groups have been disappointed that their efforts and the goods they collected were not appreciated. A community hit by disaster, however, does not have the time, manpower, or money to dispose of unneeded donations. Get precise information before collecting any donated goods.
• In a community struggling to respond to and recover from a disaster, an influx of unexpected or unneeded volunteers and donations can make the process even more difficult. Before traveling to the disaster area to help, learn where and when your skills will be needed from your local volunteer connector. Discuss with volunteer organizers how your needs for food, water, and shelter will be met while you are volunteering.