Volunteer Opportunities
Want to Volunteer? Sign up for the Nanaimo Community Assistance Program (formerly ESS).
The Nanaimo Community Assistance Program volunteers are the heart of disaster response, providing short-term assistance to residents forced to leave their homes because of fire, flood, or other emergency situations. This assistance includes food, clothing, lodging, emotional support and family reunification. Volunteers may help evacuees at an emergency site, in a reception centre, or at a group lodging facility. Community Assistance may also support response workers.
Although Community Assistance is desigend to provide services to individuals affected by large disasters or emergencies, Community Assistance is also provided during smaller emergencies which may involve only one or two displaced families.
The Community Assistance Program plays an important role in emergency management in BC by:
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Helping people to meet their basic survival needs during a disaster
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Reuniting families separated by disaster
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Providing people with accurate and up-to-date information about the emergency
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Giving people a "breathing space" to help them start the process of recovery
As a Community Assistance volunteer, you can give back to your community and help those in need. All the training you need is provided.