Members
See our members list here
Leadership
Chair Person: Katie Kasten, Pet Partners Animal Assisted Crisis Response, thekastenhouse@gmail.com
Vice Chair: Lori Arnold-Ellis, Arkansas Red Cross, lori.arnoldellis@redcross.org
Co-Secretary: Emily Hooker, Fercliff Camp and Conference Center, emily@ferncliff.org
Co-Secretary: Shelley Lee, AR Conference of the United Methodist Church, disaster@arumc.org
Treasurer: Adrieanna Hutson, Arkansas Legal Services, ahutson@arkansaslegalservices.org
Members at Large
Lauren Morris, Arkansas Community Foundation, lmorris@arcf.org
Laurie Fried, Salvation Army, laurie.fried@uss.salvationarmy.org
Randy Garrett, Arkansas Baptist State Convention, rgarrett@absc.org
Committees
Emotional and Spiritual Care Committee
The Emotional and Spiritual Care Committee’s mission is to foster emotional and spiritual care to people affected by disaster in cooperation with national, state and local response organizations and VOADs.
The Arkansas VOAD ESCC accomplishes its mission in several ways:
Embracing the unique contribution of various mental health disciplines and faith based groups.
Identify specific issues of emotional and spiritual needs as a significant component of disaster response.
Educate state and local VOADs and non-affiliated partners about emotional and spiritual needs in disasters.
Promote best practices, standards and models to provide effective emotional and spiritual care.
Mass Care Committee
The Mass Care Committee is a group comprised of agencies in the provision of shelter, feeding, bulk distribution of relief supplies and related services during disasters. Its purpose is to pursue avenues for joint action and planning among these and other willing partners to communicate, coordinate, cooperate and collaborate. It is the intention of the committee to speed the provision of critical services to those affected by disaster, reduce the duplication of efforts so that the greatest use can be made of limited resources during crisis, and establish a united voice for advocacy in working with our public institutions, including emergency management at the local, state and federal levels, to prepare our communities for the disasters they will face in the future.
Donations Management and Volunteer Management
Donations Management and Volunteer Management are a joint committee in Arkansas. The Donations Management Committee is primarily focused on issues related to unsolicited donations. The committee works closely with state VOADs and government donation coordinators in times of disaster to serve as advisors and to support.
Communications, Advocacy and Outreach Committee
The Communications, Advocacy and Outreach Committee supports information sharing among all stakeholders by developing policies and procedures, tools and strategies to enhance internal and external communication and thereby support the mission of Arkansas VOAD.
Standing Committees
Executive
ByLaws
Membership
Finance
Nominating
Long Term Recovery Committees
Long Term Recovery and Community Preparedness are a joint committee in Arkansas. The Long Term Recovery Group Committee is charged with reviewing issues related to Long Term Recovery Group formation and support.The purpose of the Community Preparedness Committee will be to apply and promote the 4 Cs to nationwide community preparedness, including promoting preparedness as a national civic virtue and duty, identifying and sharing best practices, and collaborating with all sectors to identify and promote innovative ways to enhance community preparedness. Arkansas VOAD will soon be collaborating with DHS/FEMA and HHS/CDC as co-branded partners promoting existing national preparedness exercises and campaigns. Such initiatives that could involve all members will increase community engagement and awareness, as well as the awareness of Arkansas VOAD and its members’ role in the disaster cycle. The Committee will support staff to coordinate such nationwide activities among members.