Citizen Action Team
The Citizen Action Team (CAT), a group of volunteers assisting with Disaster Relief Efforts.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, the original CAT Team quickly realized that real-time direction of grassroots groups was critical to an organized response.
Tracking the needs of grassroots groups was vital as some locations were getting overrun with donations/volunteers and others were getting completely ignored.
In response to this need, we developed an online tool to help direct volunteers and donors to find channels to help.
• Although it was designed for use with Katrina relief, it can and is being utilized for humanitarian relief anywhere, and is currently being used in Indonesia, Singapore, India, Haiti, Chili, Pakastan ... and more.
• In regions where online relief systems are not already setup, CAT's Relief Database helps link people that need disaster and humanitarian relief supplies/services to those that have supplies or services to share. It helps direct people to the local VOAD's (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster), regional donations/volunteer management systems or UN Cluster organizations for International relief.
• This award winning Database was released for public use just weeks after the Katrina disaster in October of 2005.
• CAT Team members are located all over the United States and have an ONLINE HELPDESK to direct volunteers/donors and organizations in providing help.
• Grassroots Relief Organizations can register the services and supplies they have to offer as well as find items they need.
• Donors and COMMUNITY groups can find out how to direct donations to organizations that need what they have to donate.
• Volunteers can find organizations that need their help.
• Individuals and Families can register their needs so that others can help them find supplies, resources and services.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, the original CAT Team quickly realized that real-time direction of grassroots groups was critical to an organized response.
Tracking the needs of grassroots groups was vital as some locations were getting overrun with donations/volunteers and others were getting completely ignored.
In response to this need, we developed an online tool to help direct volunteers and donors to find channels to help.
• Although it was designed for use with Katrina relief, it can and is being utilized for humanitarian relief anywhere, and is currently being used in Indonesia, Singapore, India, Haiti, Chili, Pakastan ... and more.
• In regions where online relief systems are not already setup, CAT's Relief Database helps link people that need disaster and humanitarian relief supplies/services to those that have supplies or services to share. It helps direct people to the local VOAD's (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster), regional donations/volunteer management systems or UN Cluster organizations for International relief.
• This award winning Database was released for public use just weeks after the Katrina disaster in October of 2005.
• CAT Team members are located all over the United States and have an ONLINE HELPDESK to direct volunteers/donors and organizations in providing help.
• Grassroots Relief Organizations can register the services and supplies they have to offer as well as find items they need.
• Donors and COMMUNITY groups can find out how to direct donations to organizations that need what they have to donate.
• Volunteers can find organizations that need their help.
• Individuals and Families can register their needs so that others can help them find supplies, resources and services.
