Hand Up Network and its Response Team initiative (HURTeams) has been named a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the home of the National Weather Service. One of NOAA’s missions is to save life and property by providing critical environmental intelligence, including weather forecasts and warnings, to their partners and the general public. NOAA wants everyone, from communities across the country, businesses, and the public at large to be ready, responsive, and resilient to extreme weather, water, and climate events. Government cannot achieve success without the support and contributions from partners. NOAA recognizes to build a Weather-Ready Nation requires innovative collaborations with the media, emergency management community, the Weather Enterprise, and other organizations such as businesses and all levels of government. WRN Ambassadors are formally recognized by NOAA as organizations committed to collaborating with NOAA, sharing preparedness messaging in outreach to the public, and serving as examples themselves by implementing resilience best practices.
“The Hand Up Network is honored to be recognized by NOAA as a WRN Ambassador Organization as we work closely with Texas Emergency Management and Homeland Security to help prepare and respond to the needs of East Texans when the situations arise.” stated Samuel Smith, Hand Up Network CEO. “We have been engaged with our Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) friends as they transition to their new home within the Texas A&M University System and this recognition from NOAA continues to reinforce our commitment to getting the message of preparation and voluntarism into our communities. You should not wait until something happens to engage and we provide the opportunity for Texans to sign up and use their skills to help Texans when the time arises.”
The Hand Up Network will have teams reaching out into the community at various events in the near future to provide emergency preparation training and to sign up Volunteers that wish to be in position to make a difference to those in need. If you are interested in becoming a Hand Up Network Volunteer for our Response Teams or another Volunteer role within the Network go to HandUpNetwork.com for more information or to sign up to be in the Volunteer database.
HAND UP NETWORK™ is a 501c3 non-profit based in Tyler, TX that has assembled an international team of leaders with decades of experience with a desire to come back home and bring focus to those in need in local communities. The Network offers long-term programs to people seeking a new season in life and response teams designed to address community issues and emergency response. The Network provides intentional volunteer opportunities for people wanting to provide support within their programs and opportunities to engage via Response Teams.