Disaster Response: how do we make sure that the people most in need of assistance have access to it?

It’s a difficult time to be working towards financial health in America, when the damage and destruction caused by recent natural disasters has taken many people back to square one, or worse. Families already living paycheck to paycheck in Texas, Florida, and Louisiana, are now facing displacement from their homes and schools, unemployment, food insecurity, and complete financial instability.

But it’s also an inspiring time. Tuesday night while watching the Comic Relief hand to hand fundraiser on TV, I was reminded by our work at SpringFour by one of the images that played over again of a spontaneous human chain of support that was formed to rescue an elderly man from a sinking SUV.

That spirit of human resiliency that inspires great generosity is now just beginning as individuals, organizations, and governments band together to begin recovery efforts. The Comic Relief event alone raised more than $44 million dollars in one night. Those funds will soon be disbursed to reputable charities and reflected in recovery support offered by organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children. And that’s a drop in the bucket. A recent estimate shows that the federal government alone was spending an average of $80 billion dollars on disaster relief even before the recent hurricanes.

So how do we make sure that the people most in need of assistance have access to it? This question has prompted increased media attention, hackathons, and workshops in the tech world.

SpringFour a Certified B Corporation, has been addressing this question since 2012, the year we added a disaster relief category to our platform in response to hurricane Sandy. When a disaster victim calls their lender, their bank, a credit counseling agency, or a local trusted organization for help, they are directed to quick reliable resources that have been curated by our professional data team. Thousands of people have already accessed information about applying for disaster assistance and been referred to local resources for financial support, medical care, rebuilding help, and employment from programs that they may have not otherwise known about. Years after the flood waters are gone, we continue to update and add resources as aid funds are distributed and more programs become available.

At SpringFour, our mission is simple; Help people find the assistance they need. If you are a SpringFour subscriber, help your clients and customers affected by Hurricane Harvey or Irma today by referring them to Disaster Relief resources. It will take years for the impacted communities to recover. That’s why it’s also important to utilize our 25 other categories to help start your clients on a path to recovery and financial security.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of offering disaster relief information from SpringFour. 

If you are not a SpringFour subscriber and would like to learn more, please contact sales@springfour.cc

Update October 16th, 2017: We’ve now seen over 15,000 referrals to disaster recovery resources in Florida and Texas. Thank you to all of our subscribers for providing this valuable information to their customers. 

Cassandra Compton, VP of Data Integrity and User Experience

SpringFour, Inc.