Volunteer Florida Announces Funding to Support Disaster Resiliency in Florida’s Communities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Volunteer Florida announced the availability of up to $140,000 in grant funding to support local governments, districts and colleges/universities in developing a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and/or Citizen Corps Program in their community. Eligible organizations interested in applying for one of these programs should respond to the request for proposals by Monday, August 30^th, 5:00pm (ET). If applying for both programs, a separate application must be submitted for each.

Through the CERT and Citizen Corps Program, individuals learn basic disaster skills which allow them to provide critical support to their communities during and after emergencies and disasters. The program also helps communities become safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to an emergency situation through education and trainings.

“Florida consistently counts on an enormous volunteer base to aid in our disaster response efforts, and as our state weathers COVID-19 this hurricane season, this year’s funding is that much more crucial to expand our volunteer forces and promote additional resources,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Corey Simon. “Volunteer Florida is proud to administer this funding as our state’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during and after disasters. Our CERT and Citizen Corps grantees fortify our emergency management officials’ great work and play a vital role in our communities’ response and recovery efforts.”

Volunteer Florida administers the Florida CERT and Citizen Corps Program in partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Volunteers play a critical role in supporting the state and their fellow Floridians during a disaster,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. “By developing strong, local volunteer groups, we are ensuring that Florida‘s communities are prepared to respond to and recover from any disaster. The Division is proud to partner with Volunteer Florida as we use every resource available to support disaster resiliency across the state.”

To view the request for proposals and application instructions, please click here. On Tuesday, August 17^th, Volunteer Florida will be hosting a technical assistance webinar at 10:00AM (ET). Please click here to register.

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