July 2009 Themes for Community Outreach
United We Serve
United We Serve is President Barack Obama's extended call to service, challenging all Americans to help lay a new foundation for growth in this country by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service. United We Serve has an emphasis on community organization and resilience which are goals shared by Citizen Corps Councils and partners across the country. The United We Serve summer initiative is June 22 through September 11, 2009- the National Day of Service and Remembrance. During this time, United We Serve Issue Weeks will focus on specific areas of service for the nation. You can align your service projects with these weeks and benefit from national media around similar events. In addition, registering your service projects and sharing your stories on Serve.gov enables volunteers in your community to reach you and possible join in your projects. Additional resources on Serve.gov include: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama's call to service videos, an online tool where individuals and groups can find local volunteer opportunities, and toolkits to help create new service projects. Visit the following website for more details: Citizen Corps and United We Serve.
- Jul 20-26: Community Renewal Week
- Jul 27-Aug 2: Education Week
- Aug 3-9: Energy & Environment Week
- Aug 10-16: Health Week
- Aug 24-30: Disaster Preparedness and Relief Week
- Aug 24-30: Veterans Care and Military Family Support Week
- Aug 31-Sep 6: Interfaith Week
- Sep 7-11: 9/11 Remembrance Week
Critical Days of Summer
The “Critical Days of Summer” campaign is an effort to keep families and neighbors safe during summer activities. Studies show that more deadly accidents and mishaps occur during the busy summer months than any other time of year. The campaign focuses on summer safety in four areas: traffic safety, boating safety, drowning prevention, and heat stress prevention. Motorcycle and automobile mishaps are one of the greatest killers in the U.S. Encourage your community to reduce driving speeds, wear seatbelts regardless of seating position, avoid distracted and impaired driving, and learn how to properly use a child seat. Likewise, do not mix alcohol and swimming, and ensure family members are not overextending themselves in the water. The number one mishap prevention tool for drowning is a personal flotation device. Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, heat and winter cold are the top natural hazard killers in the U.S. For safety and prevention resources and more information you can share with your community, visit: the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety webpage, National Safety Council’s Distracted Driving webpage, Poolsafety.gov, NOAA’s National Weather Service Heat Wave webpage, FEMA’s Extreme Heat webpage, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Impaired Driving webpage, Motorcycle Safety webpage, Seatbelt Safety webpage, and Child Passenger Safety webpage.
Summer Thunderstorms
In many areas, the summer months are particularly prone to thunderstorms. It is important to note that all thunderstorms are dangerous and produce lightning. Visit FEMA’s Thunderstorms and Lightning webpage, NOAA’s Severe Storm Laboratory webpage, and NOAA’s Lightening Safety webpage for resources and more information about what individuals can do prior to, during, and after a storm. Work with Citizen Corps partners and affiliates to educate your community on thunderstorms through planning events and distributing information at locations that are frequented during the summer such as parks, hardware stores, swimming pools, fairgrounds, and theme parks. Distribute flashlights, bottled water, and flyers with tips and local emergency numbers.
July 4, 2009: Independence Day
As families and neighbors head outdoors to backyard barbecues, campouts, and fireworks displays for the 4th of July celebrations, share the message of cooking fire and fireworks safety in your community. Visit FireSafety.gov, the National Council on Fireworks Safety, and National Citizen Corps Affiliate, the National Fire Protection Association for tips on how to safely enjoy cooking outdoors, campfires, and fireworks. Consider asking your local television station to conduct an interview with a firefighter or Fire Corps volunteer to share this information. Additionally, you may distribute fire and fireworks safety information at summer celebrations around the community. Engage CERT members and other Citizen Corps volunteers to participate in 4th of July parades; consider having a Citizen Corps float and be sure to hand out preparedness information along the parade route.
July 26, 2009: Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Many people with disabilities are at greater risk during an emergency. Use this anniversary as an opportunity to organize activities specifically to ensure that people in your community with disabilities are prepared with disaster supply kits, a family communication plan, working smoke detectors, and a way to be connected to others to help them during an incident.
And use this day to highlight examples of how people with disabilities can participate in Citizen Corps training and volunteer programs – include a recruitment drive specifically for people with disabilities. Invite local leaders, disabled members of your community, and other citizens to participate in a roundtable discussion about what steps can be taken to address the needs of this segment of your community. Invite local members of the media to participate.
July 26, 2009: Parents' Day
Have a Citizen Corps volunteer speak at a PTA meeting to talk about roles parents and their children can play in keeping the home and the community safe. Invite local media to participate. Organize family oriented volunteer opportunities. Honor and acknowledge parents in the community who have focused on educating and training their family on preparedness and response skills. For more ideas on how to celebrate visit National Parents' Day Council website.