Today's guest post comes from our AmeriCorps Alums North Texas Chapter Leader and AmeriCorps NCCC Alum, Lisa Tatum.

When I served on Disaster Response assignment with AmeriCorps NCCC in 1998,I had no idea that I was starting on the Emergency Management career path. That one month on assignment in the San Francisco area was an amazing experience. Helping with their flood response in the area of logistics taught me about all of the coordination that is needed in a disaster response. I learned to drive a forklift, helped provide supplies to the larger response, and even helped with client casework.

Shortly after leaving NCCC in 2001, I moved to Dallas to take a position with the American Red Cross as a logistics specialist. In this role, I was given the opportunity to manage the National Preparedness and Response Corps program and supervised 28 AmeriCorps members. I was in this role when Hurricane Katrina hit and helped to manage the second largest sheltering operation the American Red Cross has ever conducted (the largest was in Houston during that time). The highlight of my Hurricane Katrina experience was seeing my AmeriCorps members in action.

This response took place just three days after their training. They serve tirelessly for several months in extreme situations (primarily sheltering and logistics). I remember one 19-year-old member who conducted training to a room of more than a hundred volunteers while standing on a chair so everyone could see her. Though they were a newly formed team, the members consistently checked on each other and encouraged one another. I am convinced that is how everyone managed to get through that difficult time.

Now I support the American Red Cross as a part of the Mass Care Task Force. The Mass Care Task Force is a partnership that was formed after Hurricane Katrina. The Chief Executive Officers of the American Red Cross North Texas Region, The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Command, the North Texas Food Bank and the Volunteer Center of North Texas decided, “We can do better”. In a large disaster the American Red Cross will shelter, the Salvation Army will feed, the North Texas Food Bank will provide food and the Volunteer Center of North Texas will manage spontaneous volunteers. All parties doing what they do best.

I work for the Volunteer Center, developing the volunteer intake and management process. This means working with the unique culture of each participant organization in order to honor their risk management practices and specific needs. This process will allow spontaneous volunteers to serve in a variety of roles more quickly and effectively. During Katrina, I felt a lot of the same frustration that the community felt in that they did not know how to serve and there was no clear process. The best part is that this model can be used outside of North Texas because each of the partners have corresponding National Organizations who have pledged their support of the initiative.

In addition to my professional role, I serve as the Chapter Leader for AmeriCorps Alums North Texas. I firmly believe that AmeriCorps Alums are uniquely suited to support disaster response in their local communities, due to their experience in serving others and working with volunteers. I encourage all AmeriCorps Alums to get involved.

The first step is to getpersonally prepared; getting together with family, close friends, neighbors, and other important people to plan what you would do in case of disaster. Fires happen, floods happen, tornadoes happen and you need to know how best to deal with those situations when they arise. This can include creating a communications plan to let people know you are safe, putting together a supply kit with essentials you may need, and identifying hazards in your home or neighborhood you could mitigate to make yourself safer. There are a multitude of websites that you can use, including Good and Ready.

The next step is to find a way tosupport your community when disasters occur. I am a firm believer in the Citizen's Corps programs. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are very specific to an area and connect you with the best resources and other people in your area who want to help. The training is pretty interesting and includes hands on components. People also have the option of connecting with local disaster response organizations like the American Red Cross. There is something out there for everyone.

AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas is actively pursuing a relationship with local AmeriCorps programs and our state commission, the One Star Foundation, to provide training support for currently serving AmeriCorps Members and Alums. It is our hope that all individuals who what to help in times of disaster know exactly what to do and where to serve.

It's time to be prepared.

Service comes naturally to Matt McCabe, the first AmeriCorps alum to join the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Board of Directors. A commitment to service was instilled in him by his parents and grandparents from childhood. “They set the expectation that we give back to our community,” said McCabe.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

In the spring of 2011, a Marine stood on the porch steps of his new home in Annapolis, MD. He was not thinking about the beautiful row house that he would now share with his wife and four children, but was looking down at the porch that he helped build with his own hands. He was contemplating his spirit of service with a renewed vigor and hope.
 

Many homeless people face significant barriers to employment, including lack of work-appropriate clothing, limited access to computers or computer skills, and transportation issues. The dilemma is that these challenges are tough to surmount when people with a strong desire to work can’t access the practical tools they need to find and maintain long-term employment.
 

A passion for learning and service means one rotation was not enough for AmeriCorps member Rebbecca Bakre. So, after a stint with Civic Works, the 24-year-old, University of Maryland graduate joined Playworks Baltimore AmeriCorps while she pursues her master’s in public administration.
 

On May 22, 2011, an EF-5 tornado struck my hometown of Joplin, Missouri. Nearly every resident was affected. The tornado destroyed approximately 18,000 vehicles, 7,000 homes, 5,000 businesses, and took the lives of 162 people, including two of my high school classmates.
 

Today, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced the winners of the 2012 AmeriCorps Photo and Video contest.
 

Earthquakes, unlike other natural disasters, strike suddenly and don’t provide advanced warning time to prepare for their arrival. Knowing what to do if a quake happens can greatly reduce your risk of injury or death.
 

I am truly humbled and honored to receive recognition as a Champion of Change. My first lessons regarding the importance of service to both the nation and local communities came observing my parents.
 

In the aftermath of September 11th, we came together as a country to show that we were there for each other. This year’s National Day of Service and Remembrance once again reminded us of that unity.
 

Today marks a historic chapter in the field of disaster services at the Corporation for National and Community Service as the nation's first 240 FEMA Corps members were sworn into service at an induction ceremony in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
 

Imagine a child cooped up inside a stuffy apartment building on a beautiful, sunny day because there’s no safe place to play outside. She has only unhealthy processed and fast foods to eat. This image is far removed from the nostalgic picture of a childhood summer filled with fun family vacations and camps. But for too many children, it is a reality that directly affects how ready they will be to move ahead in the classroom come September.
 

Hurricane Katrina taught us a difficult lesson about the damage, death, and destruction a massive storm can cause. If there’s one thing we should take from that experience it is that these weather systems are not something to underestimate; you have to be prepared for the worst – especially if you live in storm-prone areas.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

For Tina Kiehn, an AmeriCorps NCCC member in Aurora, IL, the morning of September 11, 2001, started out as a day like any other. She was at her service site, helping a class of first graders adjust to the new school year. With summer just behind them, Kiehn and her team expected a normal daily schedule: classes, recess, homework help.
 

President Obama marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks by remembering the innocent lives lost, and honoring the first responders and men and women in uniform who have served and sacrificed to keep our country safe.
 

Eleven years later and the tide has surely turned, at least in one very significant way. The anniversary of September 11th is no longer only a day known for a horrific tragedy on our national landscape. It is now also America’s largest day of charitable service and good deeds, in honor of my late brother and all those who perished that sunny September morning.
 

Olive Eckstein was making copies of her resume at a Kinko's in Queens on the morning of September 11, 2001. After serving for a year with AmeriCorps NCCC, she was looking for a job in her native New York.
 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing how and why you should serve on the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Now with 9/11 Day just around the corner, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, get out there, and serve!
 

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance arrives in less than a week, but service projects have already begun, and more will take place this weekend and continue through 9/11 Day. If you don't have plans and are looking to serve, we have an overview of how volunteers across the country will pay tribute to and honor the victims and heroes of September 11th across the nation.
 

There’s a saying that goes, “be ready, so you don’t have to get ready.” Every family and workplace needs to have a plan of action to keep everyone safe when the unexpected happens. Sounds like the perfect excuse to discuss National Preparedness Month.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

September 11th can be a challenging topic for educators. For younger students who weren’t born or were very young in 2001, it’s history. For older students and teachers, it’s a vivid memory that may feel like a current event. Finding a way to make the day meaningful across the generations requires finesse and planning.
 

Since 1882, Americans have paused to observe Labor Day in a “yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” But before you enjoy a well-earned day off on September 3, consider giving a minute to help an unemployed or underemployed person find satisfying work and help transform the holiday into “Give Labor Day.”
 

AmeriCorps and Senior Corps teams are responding in four Gulf Coast states as Hurricane Isaac moves toward the region.
 

With the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance just around the corner, many Americans will begin to reflect on the inconceivable tragedy of 9/11 and the incredible unity and service that emerged from it. While some of us may get lost in the quantitative measures of this disaster, it is important to appreciate the individual victim, hero, or survivor, as each has a unique story and personal testimony.
 

My name is Ciera Russum and I’m a member of the Advanced Construction team at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School. We worked with the Green Building team to complete a full-gut rehab project on Greene Street.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

The St. Louis Safety Service Corps, commonly known as the Emergency Response Team (ERT), answered the call time and time again after natural disasters scarred communities across the Midwest in 2011.