PHOENIX, Ariz. — Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the Eastern Shore Long Term Recovery Committee were honored as the Innovative Program of the Year at the National …
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PHOENIX, Ariz. — Maryland Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the Eastern Shore Long Term Recovery Committee were honored as the Innovative Program of the Year at the National VOAD Conference held here last month.
Accepting the award was Phil Huber, a retired Lutheran pastor and chair of Maryland VOAD who was a leader in disaster recovery after superstorm Sandy with the formation and management of the former Somerset County Long Term Recovery Committee.
National VOAD recognizes organizations and individuals that reflect “the best of the best” in service and support, with the Innovation Award determined through a nomination by VOAD member organizations.
Its focus is on projects of exceptional innovation or ingenuity that seek to implement long-term solutions to a community problem or satisfy an unmet need to better respond to disaster — with the steps taken to do this something that can be replicated as a model for other communities.
Maryland VOAD and the ESLTRC were recognized for:
“For me the honor of the award is that our project was picked out of all the projects happening across the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. Territories, and the fact this award came from our peers,” Rev. Huber said by email.
At the conference he told the audience that when stronger storms bring in higher water it’s imperative that the recovery response address future flooding by making properties safer.
“We made an intentional decision that we would integrate a mitigation component within the long term recovery process.”
The goal would be to not only repair but elevate houses out of harms way, and use volunteers as much as possible to lower the costs.
With a $50,000 grant from both MDS and Lutheran Disaster Response the pilot project to elevate the two homes was completed with lessons learned that going forward benefit both Somerset and Dorchester counties.
Maryland VOAD and the ESLTRC are working to partner with coastal universities to do a research project alongside the elevation project to demonstrate its worth to other coastal communities.
Other National VOAD award recipients announced in Phoenix included New York Disaster Interfaith Services as Member of the Year; Hawaii VOAD as the State VOAD of the Year; and persons from Hawaii and West Virginia for individual honors.