Proudly providing resilience education and training in the Shenandoah Valley since 2000. |
News & tips for being ready
before, during, and after emergencies.
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RESOLVE TO BE MORE RESILIENT IN 2021 |
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Remember the Basics of Resilience |
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Given the challenges of 2020, there’s no doubt that many of us have spent the turn of the new year reflecting on ways to strengthen individual and family health and resilience in 2021. Revisiting the basics of resilience is a great place to start, and according to the Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Emergency website includes the following steps:
- Live a healthy lifestyle and learn skills to manage stress.
- Maintain connections to meaningful groups like families, places of worship and volunteer organizations.
- Be informed, educated, and able to help neighbors, family, and friends.
- Engage in community or neighborhood preparedness activities
- Create evacuation and family reunification plans.
- Have a disaster kit and be able to shelter in place for 72 hours.
- Take trainings like CPR, first aid, CERT, or psychological first aid.
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Stay Connected During COVID |
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How can we practice the principles of resiliency during COVID when so many include staying connected and involved with others? Many groups offer remote learning and video conferencing options, so don’t hesitate to get involved in any way possible. The International Council on Active Aging also has some great ideas for staying connected regardless of age: 10 Ways to Stay Connected During COVID-19
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Mitigate Hazards Like Flooding |
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Flooding is the most common and costly disaster in the United States and can happen anywhere. At any time, floodwaters can cause millions of dollars in damage across FEMA Region 3. There are many ways homeowners can minimize their home’s potential risk of flooding and not all of them are difficult or expensive.
Know Your Risk. Anywhere it can rain, it can flood. To check your specific flood risk, look up your address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
Reduce Your Risk. By preparing now, you can protect your family, home and belongings from flooding.
Insure Your Property. Flood damage isn’t covered by standard homeowner’s insurance policies, and flood damage is expensive. Just one inch of floodwater can cause more than $25,000 in damage. Talk to your insurance agent about flood insurance or visit www.floodsmart.gov.
More resources:
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Avoid Hazardous Driving in Winter Weather |
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Winter storms make it hard to keep warm and make travel very dangerous. Plan ahead now! #BeReady #PreparedNotScared |
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Protect Your Health by Dressing for Winter Weather |
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Do you know the signs of hypothermia? Bundling up in layers and staying dry is one of the best things you can do to stay safe this winter. Protect yourself from COVID-19 and cold weather with the right gear for the season, including jacket, hat, mask, and gloves. #WinterSafety |
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COVID Precautions During Winter Weather |
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This winter, look out for friends and neighbors. Stay safe - washing your hands, staying 6 feet apart, and wearing a mask. Here are some sensible tips you and your friends can do to protect each other: https://bit.ly/HowToWearMasks
#MaskingForAFriend #WinterSafety
- Change your mask when it becomes wet.
- A wet mask is harder to breathe through, is less efficient at filtering, and vents more around the edges of the mask.
- Keep a spare mask to replace one that becomes wet from moisture in your breath, snow, or rain.
- Store your wet reusable mask in a plastic bag until you get home and can put it in the laundry.
- If you need to wear a scarf, ski mask, or balaclava, wear it over your mask.
- They used for warmth are usually made of loosely knit fabrics not suitable for use as masks.
- If you wear glasses, find a mask that fits closely over your nose or has a nose wire to help reduce fogging. Consider using an antifogging spray that is made for eyeglasses.
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COMMUNITY RESILIENCY
ACHIEVEMENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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SAW CERT Annual Meeting Set |
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The SAW CERT Annual Meeting (by Zoom and phone) will be held on January 11th from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The latest information on the pandemic and upcoming training opportunities for CERT members will be discussed.
Contact Rebecca Joyce,
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I’m a big fan of new beginnings and fresh starts. To me a new box of crayons at the start of the school year or a blank calendar in January represent unlimited possibilities and hope. Because of the circumstances in 2020, I think it is safe to say that all of us look towards 2021 with the hope that at some point in the year a sense of normalcy will return. We see 2021 as a blank slate waiting to be filled with all of the activities we weren’t able to do this past year. Not only will 2020 stand out as an extremely difficult year full of loss for the entire world, I will also remember the creative ways that people expressed kindness and connected not only with their neighbors but also with strangers to offer support and comfort. In 2020, there were people who in the most trying situations showed their resiliency and inner strength.
That is what Shenadoah Valley Project Impact (SVPI) has been about for the past twenty years - community resiliency. In 2021, as we navigate the “new normal” SVPI hopes to incorporate the valuable lessons we learned about kindness and connection in 2020 into all of our upcoming activities. The path to resilience will continue to hold unlimited possibilities for SVPI. Will you make the personal resolution to become more resilient in 2021? Here’s to the New Year and the hope it brings! Maybe this New Year’s Eve instead of toasting with champagne, we should toast with new boxes of crayons? Please stay safe, healthy, and strong during this winter as the pandemic continues - “there is a light at the end of the tunnel”.
Rebecca Joyce, SVPI and SAW CERT Coordinator
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