BREWER — The Penobscot County Emergency Management Agency, in collaboration with the Maine Emergency Management Agency, will host a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brewer Auditorium.
The event’s purpose is to attract, educate, and recruit community members for our regional nonprofit, civic, nongovernmental organizations, and public service agencies that support emergency management in whole community preparedness. “Now, more than ever, your community needs your support,” says Bradley Nuding, director of Emergency Management for Penobscot County. “Disaster management has always relied upon good samaritans, neighbors helping neighbors, to overcome the multi-faceted impacts of an emergency.”
The network of local organizations, some of which have a national footprint and support emergencies, is more complex than what the general population may know. “Every large-scale disaster that happens nationally, these organizations show up well before any federal assistance arrives and will always stay embedded in the community long after federal assistance leaves,” Bradley adds.
In addition to the various booths that will be set up, the American Red Cross will be onsite, showcasing how a regional shelter is established and the services that are provided at a regional shelter.
Bill Guindon, Maine Emergency Management Agency’s Mass Care Coordinator, emphasizes that “volunteers play an integral part in response and response to a disaster. The Volunteer Fair will provide a platform to learn about the many volunteer opportunities which are essential to providing services such as sheltering and emergency feeding and support to the community in a time of need. It is not one organization but many collaborating together that make things happen.”
