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Group to focus on long-term recovery being organized
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Posted on Aug 28 2015
A group of various organizations on Saipan met yesterday to focus on long-term recovery efforts on island following the widespread destruction of Typhoon Soudelor.
Non-government groups, non-profits, faith-based, grass roots organizations as well as companies and individual volunteers gathered for the second time at the Office of the Governor’s conference room. Representatives from the local government as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency were also present to assist.
A group of various organizations on Saipan met yesterday at the Office of the Governor’s conference room to focus on long-term recovery efforts on island following the widespread destruction of Typhoon Soudelor. (Contributed Photo)
During the meeting, organizations such as Karidat, American Red Cross, Americorps, United4Saipan, Saipan Young Professionals, Cornerstone Church, United Filipino Organization, Saipan Community Church, Seventh Day Adventists, Tan Holdings, and Best Sunshine spoke of what each of them are doing as their contribution to the relief efforts in the community.
“It brings together all the organizations as we found out today what the different organizations are doing. Most of the people here don’t know what the other organizations are doing and how they can work with them,” Willis said.
This long-term recovery group, which is composed also of many from the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, will be having a different structure and is in the process of naming themselves as well as setting their mission and vision as one big organization.
They are currently organizing into subcommittees such as communications, workforce development, construction management, and resource management.
One of the volunteers, Glen Hunter, said it is crucial to build a coalition of existing groups for networking of resources and collaborating efforts.
“We are past the short-term relief. We’re into the midterm and long-term and that’s what this group is going to address. It will also give a unified voice to all of these groups,” Hunter said.
For their part, Best Sunshine said they wanted to be a part of any relief and recovery effort.
“For us to get into this platform and understand the needs of the community and also understand where we can contribute is really important,” Tao Xing, CSO of Imperial Pacific/Best Sunshine, said.
