Helping Others After Disaster

Without a doubt, the best thing that you can do to help others in a SHTF situation is prepare in advance. You prepare for yourself for disaster but have you considered the advantages of getting your community involved?

Chances are good that even though you may feel all alone in your prepping efforts, there are many like-minded individuals right in your community. Work with other preppers to form a plan and include what to do to help the oldies in your area as well as people with other physical limitations and families with several kids.

In a SHTF situation, every single person in a group has some worth: sometimes the challenge is finding the best job for each person. Particularly if there are physical limitations such as those brought about by age or physical disability, utilizing your human resources to the fullest potential can require some creativity and forethought. That’s where a good leader will excel.

Before we even get into the process of assigning responsibilities to oldies, kids, and other people with physical considerations, let’s talk first about how to establish some organization so that when a SHTF situation arises, everybody knows what to do and can perform seamlessly as a team, to ensure the survival of the group.

Organizing in Advance

Get together with other preppers in your area and establish a committee with a defined leader and people who are assigned to be in charge of key areas such as food, defense, and medical needs.

{adinserter survivalmd}Make plans for leadership style after the SHTF, discuss different types of leadership and decide upon which type best suits the needs of your group.  This will help to promote a feeling of normalcy as well as streamline the organizational process.

Choose a leader wisely and base your decision on the capability, integrity, and experience of the person for whom you vote.  This person should be somebody that the entire group can trust, if not like. A good leader will have the experience and the creativity to use every resource in the group effectively and efficiently. Having established leaders will help the entire group remain cohesive in a disaster and will also promote feelings of security and community.

To ensure that a plan remains in place should something happen to your leader, it’s a good idea to choose a committee of responsible people with an established hierarchy. Committees also help distribute responsibilities and foster a feeling of ownership amongst your members.

Oldies and people with less physical capabilities shouldn’t be dismissed offhand for these roles because they can often contribute significantly to the group.

Discuss roles of each community member. While one person may have a huge pantry and kitchen that would serve as a mess hall for everybody, another may have a large storage area where medical supplies or other items of need may be stored. Utilize your resources.

Personal Roles after Disaster

Take into consideration every person’s abilities. Oldies and younger kids may not be able to perform many of the physical duties that able-bodied members can, but they can still fill vital roles when SHTF.

Consider for instance that somebody is going to need to keep track of supplies and monitor what goes out and what comes in. Fires may need tended and meals will need to be cooked. The group will also need somebody to watch the smaller children in defense situations or if search or hunting parties need to leave.

It’s important that every man, woman, and child has a role and that their particular strengths are utilized to the fullest. A good leader will be able to organize required tasks and put the best people for the job on them.

Most importantly, don’t discount somebody just because they’re older or physically less capable. In a SHTF situation, brains, creativity, and the ability to think effectively under duress are often more vital to survival than brawn.

Some Tips for Helping Others in a SHTF Situation

Remember that when SHTF, the rules are going to change.

People aren’t going to be trusting and there will be those who did not prepare and will turn to looting and other acts of crime just to survive.

Emergency services aren’t going to be there for you so you must be prepared to take of yourself and fellow community members. This requires good planning.

Here are some final tips to help you help others and therefore help yourself.

• In order to be of help to anybody, you must first know them. Be an active member of the community and get to know your group. Establishing relationships is a great way to build trust.
• Know each member’s strengths and weaknesses, and plan around them.For instance, one person may have advanced medical training but is in a wheelchair. Plan accordingly to get that person front and center so that he or she is safe and those skills are utilized.
• Establish “buddy neighbors” for oldies or people with several small children. As soon as it’s safe, the buddy will check on those neighbors and help get them to safety.
• Make sure that everybody has a role. It not only expands your resources, it gives people ownership and a sense of responsibility. Having a job helps people remain calm when SHTF.
• Establish meeting places so that everybody knows where to go post-SHTF.

These are just a few ideas to take with you to your community meetings. The best part about working with others is that you have the advantage of brainstorming.

Establish your plans, and plan for contingencies and different SHTF situations. Every time that you meet to discuss and plan, you’re forming bonds and building trust, both of which will help you get safely through a crisis.

This article has been written by Theresa Crouse for Survivopedia.

Photo sources: 1, 2, 3.