Digging Out After Record Snow
CONTACT NAME: Courtney Dunn For Immediate Release
PHONE: .301-459-2020
Volunteers of America Chesapeake Digs Out After Record-Setting Winter Weather
Employees from the Non-Profit’s Homeless Services Facilities Logged 4,500 Overtime Hours During Snowstorms
Lanham, MD - (April 1, 2010) – As spring arrives and the snow melts, the D.C. area is readying for Cherry Blossoms, sporting events on the Mall, baseball season and walks through the parks. But Volunteers of America Chesapeake is still feeling the effects of the region’s record-breaking snowfalls that shook up our area over the past few months.
With record-setting low temperatures and snow hitting the Mid-Atlantic, non-profit organizations such as Volunteers of America Chesapeake are still trying to dig out from an unprecedented depletion of resources. As a direct result of the Blizzards of 2010, Volunteers of America Chesapeake employees logged 4,500 overtime hours and the organization is faced with a nearly $100,000 funding gap for its homeless services programs, which provide critical services to those in need. "We are hopeful that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) disaster recovery dollars are made widely available in all Maryland counties, Virginia and the District of Columbia to the non-profit community to help close this unexpected funding gap due to the blizzards of 2010," said Russ Snyder, president and CEO of Volunteers of America Chesapeake.
The difficult conditions also forced the program directors at Volunteers of America Chesapeake’s 14 homeless facilities throughout the D.C. area to:
- Enlist extra staff and volunteers for overnight shifts with some working 24-hour days.
- Prepare additional food for essential staff and volunteers who may have been snowed in at the facility.
- Ensure adequate food and water was on hand.
- Check emergency boxes and supplies including water, blankets, flashlights, batteries, emergency phones, and more.
- Put forth funds for extra winter-related maintenance such as snow removal and additional heating costs.
- Procure additional vehicles for staff and resident transportation.
Snyder also added, “Volunteers of America Chesapeake continues to rely upon area residents and organizations for much-needed assistance with replenishing every day items such as toiletries, non-perishable food, bedding and clothing, We are so grateful to all of our employees, volunteers and the community for their unwavering support during the past few months. But it is important that we continue to receive this support to ensure that each of our 14 homeless facilities, serving approximately 5,000 people annually, will not only recover from the storms but also be ready to serve those in need all year long.”
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA CHESAPEAKE
Volunteers of America Chesapeake, founded in 1896 in Baltimore, is the locally chartered affiliate of Volunteers of America, Inc., one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive human services organizations. They accomplish their spiritually based mission by serving over 8,000 people annually through programs spread geographically from Baltimore, Maryland to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Volunteers of America Chesapeake operates 26 programs that serve the homeless, mentally ill, intellectually disabled, ex-offenders, substance abusers, the elderly and children. The professional staff of more than 600 employees, partner with dedicated volunteers, local government officials, businesses, civic organizations and the faith community to provide high quality human services. www.voaches.org