Financial Preparedness for Disasters & Emergencies. April 2019

Our communities (Black, Latino, and underserved) are in a constant state of emergency 24/7.

How ever possible take the time and consider financial disaster planning.  For when the time arises.

The hardest part may be keeping emergency cash handy.

BEMA International

Portland, Oregon.

Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. Financial Preparedness. Financial Preparedness An important part of building a kit is to include copies of important documents that can help you be prepared financially for emergency situations. When disaster strikes, having your financial documents in order will help sustain your family during the emergency and streamline the recovery process. You may not be able to do everything suggested below - and that's okay. Do what you can. Taking even limited action now will go a long way toward preparing you financially before a disaster strikes. Evacuation Box Buy a lockable, durable box to grab in the event of an emergency. You don't have to wait until you have a special box - even a cardboard box will do to get started.  Put important documents in sealed, waterproof plastic bags.  Store the box in your home where you can easily get to it.  Keep this box with you if you are away from home for an extended period, but don't leave it in an unattended vehicle. A small amount of cash in small denominations and/or traveler's checks. Copies of driver's licenses and social security cards. A list of emergency contacts that includes doctors, financial advisors, reputable repair contractors and family members who live outside your area. Copies of important prescriptions for medicines and eyeglasses, and copies of children's immunization records. Copies of health, dental or prescription insurance cards or information. Copies of your auto, flood, renter's or homeowner's insurance policies (or at least policy numbers), and a list of insurance company telephone numbers. A flash drive with digital copies of irreplaceable photographs (or film negatives protected in plastic sleeves). Backups of computerized financial records. A list of bank account, loan, credit card and investment account (brokerage and mutual funds) numbers. Safe deposit box key. Copies of other important financial and family records or a list of their locations. These include deeds, titles, wills, a letter of instruction, birth and marriage certificates, passports, relevant employee benefit documents, the first two pages of the previous year's federal and state income tax returns, etc. Originals, other than wills, should be kept in a safe deposit box or at another location. Emergency Cash After a disaster, you may need cash for the first few days, or even several weeks.  A disaster can shut down local ATMs and banks.  Keep a small amount of cash and/or traveler's checks at home in a place where you can quickly get to them, such as in your evacuation box. Money should be in small denominations including a couple rolls of quarters. Emergency Fund Set aside money in an emergency fund.  This can be difficult to do on a tight budget, but can be well worth the effort.  The fund can be very helpful, not only in a disaster, but in other financial crises as well.  Keep your emergency funds in a safe, easily accessible account, such as a passbook savings or money market account. Credit Try to keep your credit cards paid off. You may have to draw on them to tide you over. Consider Renting a Safe Deposit Box Safe deposit boxes are invaluable for protecting originals of important documents. If you don't have a safe deposit box, keep copies in your evacuation box and originals at a separate location, such as with family or friends. Home safes and fire boxes can be convenient places to store important papers. However, some disasters, such as hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, could destroy your home. It is usually better to store original papers in a safe deposit box or at another location that is not likely to be affected by the same disaster. Keep the key to the safe deposit box in your evacuation box. Original Documents to Store in a Safe Deposit Box Deeds, titles and other ownership records for your home, autos, RVs, boats, etc. Birth certificates and naturalization papers. Marriage license/divorce papers and child custody papers. Passports and military/veteran papers. Appraisals of expensive jewelry and heirlooms. Certificates for stocks, bonds and other investments. Trust agreements. Living wills, powers of attorney and health care powers of attorney. Insurance policies (copies are sufficient). Home improvement records. Household inventory documentation. Copies of wills. Originals of wills should not be kept in a safe deposit box since the box may be sealed temporarily after death. Keep originals of wills with your local registrar of wills or your attorney. Professional Advice May be Necessary Depending on your situation, you may need the advice of a professional financial advisor. There is free financial counseling available when a disaster occurs, or you may want to hire your own professional advisor. When selecting a financial advisor, ask for recommendations from family or friends.

Black Emergency Managers Association            International
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097
bEMA International

      

Change without Sacrifice is an Illusion.  Lisa Ellis

FREE FINANCIAL FAIR!!! Join the FEC at the 2019 Money Explosion on April 27th

2019 Money Explosion: A Free Financial Fair is being held at Prince George’s Community College Campus on April 27th, 10am-3pm (Doors open at 9am) in Largo Student Center.  

This is going to be an outstanding event for all ages.  There are workshops (English and Spanish) and activities for everyone. We have workshops for seniors and adults including topics on Retirement, Money Management, Wills and Trust. We have a special track for high school and college students on entrepreneurship.   

There are special programs for children 5-14.  This is a great opportunity, especially during Financial Literacy Month.  

Tickets are free and can be obtained online at www.pgcash.org.  Lunch is included. Make this a family event.

VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED FOR THE EVENT- SIGN UP HERE    

http://bit.ly/2ZbzBD0

Disaster Resilience Workshop. May 2019. What about your community?

Check this out for your community.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disaster-resilience-workshop-tickets-59403626847

For this workshop in Washington, D.C. Spin Global, the D.C. Homeland Security & Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) with the Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities (http://www.100resilientcities.org/).  Participating cities in the U.S. are listed below.

This workshop is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE to have a similar workshop in your community.  If your city is listed as participating 100 Resilient Cities program.  Contact your city Chief Resiliency Officer office, coordinate with your local emergency management agency. 

“Get it Done.”

For other rural and urban areas, FARMERS, RANCHERS contact your local county, or city emergency management office.  Ask about having this workshop in your community.

100 Resilient Cities Participants in NORTH AMERICA

Atlanta Berkeley Boston Boulder Chicago Dallas El  Paso Greater Miami and the Beaches Honolulu Los Angeles Louisville Minneapolis

Nashville New Orleans New York Norfolk Oakland Pittsburgh Pittsburgh San Francisco Seattle St. Louis Tulsa Washington,  D.C.

Black Emergency Managers Association            International
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097
bEMA International

     

"It is my belief that the best results in business come from a creative process, from the ability to see things differently from everyone else, and from finding answers to problems that are not bound by the phrase 'we have always done it this way.' "  Wayne Rogers

FREE at Kaya. Project Management Essentials.

This month we have new courses to help humanitarians develop their project management skills, a paper on the role of the private sector in humanitarian action, and a success story from the Philippines.  New on Kaya: Project Management Essentials (D Pro Series) Looking to improve your skills in project, program and financial management, as well as monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)? The D Pro Series is a selection of internationally recognised courses aimed at development, relief and humanitarian professionals across the globe. Each course is designed to improve humanitarian skills, especially at the local level, while providing an easy to deploy training system to promote career progression and contribute to sector-wide coherence. Start learning on Kaya

FREE COURSE: Project Mgmt. Developing LogFrames. April 2019

Developing Logframes Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

Logframes are the foundation of a solid monitoring and evaluation plan. In this course, you will learn what logframes are, why they are a key element of strong program design, and how to develop effective logframes.

Get Started

ابدأ التعلم

Opportunity...April 2019. FY19 MuralsDC Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Artists Request for Qualifications

FY19 MuralsDC Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Artists Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works (DPW), seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to address designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist (site preparation and mural outlining).

The MuralsDC program was established to replace illegal graffiti with artistic works, revitalize sites within communities in the District of Columbia, and to teach young people the art of aerosol painting.  This initiative aims to  positively engage the District's youth by teaching proper professional art techniques, providing supplies, and a legal means to practice and perform artistic skills in a way that promotes respect for public and private property and community awareness. There are currently more than eighty (80) MuralsDC projects across all eight wards of the District of Columbia.

Submission Deadline:  Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 4:00 pm ET

Attachment(s): 

 FY19 MuralsDC Artists RFQ - 3.1 MB (pdf)

 FY19 MuralsDC Artists - Application and Image List - 391.8 KB (pdf

Why Has The World Forgotten Haiti? April 2019

https://theglobepost.com/2019/03/29/haiti-humanitarian-political-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR2v9_qaZiYFys-xAi2LJkPHdtE9vRm3tkuZ2r69JohHTPiWN2zvmyAtqtA Why Has The World Forgotten Haiti?    Bryan Bowman April 1, 2019.      Haitian police have struggled to control street protests as demonstrators call for the president to resign over alleged misuse of public funds. Photo: Hector Retamal, AFP Humanitarian conditions in Haiti have significantly worsened over the past year, the U.N.’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller warned in an address earlier this month.   Hunger levels are on the rise and more than half of Haiti’s population lives below the poverty line. Access to basic services is very limited and more than a quarter of Haitians lack clean water to drink. Some 2.6 million people are expected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2019, and more than 300,000 children are unable to get an education. Yet the world has largely turned its back on the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. In 2018, the U.N.’s appeal for Haiti was funded at just 13 percent, making the country the site of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crisis. “Sadly, the severe levels of humanitarian need in the country rarely make headlines,” Mueller lamented. A Tale of Two Countries  On top of the dire humanitarian situation, a political crisis is unfolding in Haiti as well. Angered at the country’s ever-diminishing economic prospects, thousands have taken to the streets in recent months calling for President Jovenel Moïse to leave office. But unlike the ongoing political crisis to the South in Venezuela, the protests in Haiti have also received little attention from Western leaders and the major international press. As the first country to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado’s claim to the presidency, the United States has played a leading role in efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power. U.S. officials claim the 2018 elections that saw Maduro win another term were “illegitimate,” and that Maduro’s incompetence and corruption are the root of Venezuela’s sharp economic decline. With President Donald Trump’s administration committed to regime change in Venezuela, major American cable news programs and print publications have paid close attention to the humanitarian situation there. Lost Faith  But questions surrounding the legitimacy of Haiti’s Moïse, as well as allegations of corruption and mismanagement, have also been persistent. In addition to allegations of fraud, widespread disillusionment and systemic barriers to voting resulted in only about 20 percent of Haitians casting ballots in the 2016 elections that brought Moïse to power, Jake Johnston, an analyst at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told The Globe Post. “For me, the biggest indicator of election’s declining legitimacy is evidenced by the increasingly declining turnout,” he said. “Is it really a surprise when a lot of people don’t actually respect the government’s legitimacy or mandate when so few people actually participate?” Marlene Daut, a professor of African Diaspora Studies at the University of Virginia, agrees. “On the U.S. side, we tend to think that as long as there are elections, we can say someone was ‘democratically elected,’” she told The Globe Post. “But the feeling in Haiti is …they have lost faith in the electoral process.” Funds, Squandered  Like in Venezuela, perceptions of widespread corruption have also plagued the Haitian government. From 2005 until recently, Haiti received some $4 billion in petrol loans as part of a program called Petrocaribe that was initiated by former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. The loans were intended to allow Haiti and other Carribean countries to invest in programs like schooling, healthcare and infrastructure, but Haiti’s public sector ultimately saw little of the money. Additionally, Moïse has been at the center of a recent high-profile corruption scandal involving American “mercenaries” who were reportedly hired by him to transfer $80 million from the country’s national bank to a personal account of his. Geopolitics  So what explains the vast disparity in responses to the political and humanitarian crises in Venezuela and Haiti? According to Daut and Johnston, the answer boils down to geopolitics. “I don’t think that the U.S. government is interested in democracy or human rights or that those are the motivating factors behind what they’re involved in Venezuela,” Johnston said. Venezuela’s government has pursued a socilaist strand of independent development following the election of Chavez in 1999, and has since aligned itself with countries like Russia and China. Haiti’s government, on the other hand, has largely played by the rules set out by the U.S. In some sense, efforts from American administrations throughout history have ensured this. U.S. involvement in Haitian politics dates back to at least to the early 20th Century when the island was occupied by American Marines between 1914 and 1934. Throughout much of the rest of the century, the U.S. supported the brutal regimes of Francois Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude. In 1990, when Haiti surprised Washington by electing the populist liberation theologist Jean Bertrand Aristide, the George H.W. Bush administration supported a military coup that quickly deposed him. Since then, a line of Haitian governments have generally aligned themselves with the U.S., embracing Washington’s preferred brand of “neoliberal” policies and opening the country to foreign investment. “Haiti, since colonial times has been built around an extraction of wealth and distribution to other parts of the world,” Johnston said. “This has been the economic model in Haiti for centuries that in many ways continues today.” Continuing Cycle  While those on the ground in Haiti are largely more concerned with the daily economic struggles they face, Daut said there is a “strong feeling” among Haitian Americans that recent presidents have been “installed” by the U.S. As protests continue throughout Haiti, Moïse’s relationship with Washington appears to be stronger than ever. After Haiti voted with the U.S. in the Organization of American States to recognize Guaido as interim president in Venezuela, Trump sat down with Moïse at Mara Lago last week, and the U.S. is reportedly helping to broker a debt relief agreement between Haiti and Qatar. And though there appears to be no immediate threat to Moïse’s power, Johnston said he expects popular pressure on the government won’t stop any time soon. “The underlying issue is a political and economic system that excludes far too much of the population,” he said. “Until those root problems are addressed, I see that cycle continuing into the future.”