Resilient Response Forum Held in Houston: Industry Leaders Share and Implement Disaster Recovery Best Practices

HOUSTON, June 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Presented by Good360, All Hands and Hearts and OneStar Foundation, the first Resilient Response Regional Forum takes place in Houston today. The Forum, hosted at Mattress Firm's BEDquarters, is comprised of industry leaders who will share disaster recovery best practices and identify ways to implement a more resilient response to natural disasters. Resilient Response sheds light on the crucial and immediate need to adjust disaster giving behaviors among corporations to better support response and long-term recovery.

The Resilient Response Forum features working sessions with the objective of finding solutions and identifying specific steps to overcome common barriers in responding to natural disasters. Currently, 60% of unsolicited goods given after a disaster end up in landfills or otherwise go to waste, and 70% of giving occurs within the first two months after a disaster. Only 5% of giving is allocated to long-term reconstruction and recovery.

Good360 and All Hands and Hearts joined forces last year on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria to create the Resilient Response pledge to build stronger communities that can better withstand future disasters.

"It can take communities impacted by a disaster an average of five years to recover, and Resilient Response's six-point pledge outlines actions corporate partners can take to ensure a more effective response to natural disasters," said Howard Sherman, Good360's CEO. "With both the frequency and intensity of natural disasters on the rise around the globe, there's an urgent need for a more thoughtful approach to the way we respond and help impacted communities recover."

The Resilient Response Pledge is now also the basis of a highly visible Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action aimed at galvanizing support from more than two dozen companies who embrace and embody best practices in all phases of disaster-giving and recovery. Joining the Resilient Response pledge allows a company to demonstrate its commitment to its employees, customers, partners and the public and positions participating organizations as thought leaders in purposeful disaster-giving.

"With decades of disaster relief experience, we've ensured that donations fund our successful and impact-driven programs around the world," said David Campbell, Co-founder of All Hands and Hearts. "Through proactive planning and thoughtful giving, the Resilient Response pledge provides an essential roadmap for leaders in the private sector committed to assisting communities affected by natural disasters."

At the Forum, attendees will develop a non-profit version of the Resilient Response Pledge to further expand the impact an effective response to natural disasters has on communities during the recovery process.

The Resilient Response Forum's title sponsor is CITGO, with additional support from The UPS Foundation and the Good360 Disaster Recovery Council.

For more information about Resilient Response, visit https://good360.org/resilient-response/.

About Good360
Good360's mission is to transform lives by providing hope, dignity and a sense of renewed possibility to individuals, families and communities impacted by disasters or other challenging life circumstances who, without us, would struggle to find that hope. As the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, we partner with socially responsible companies to source highly needed goods and distribute them through our network of diverse nonprofits that support people in need. Good360 has distributed more than $9 billion in donated goods around the world, helping its network of more than 75,000 prequalified nonprofits strengthen communities and improve the lives of millions. Good360 is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at https://www.good360.org.    

About All Hands and Hearts
All Hands and Hearts is a volunteer-powered nonprofit that effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters around the globe. By listening to local people, and deploying our direct-impact model, we are able to rebuild safe, resilient schools, homes and other community infrastructure. Learn more at allhandsandhearts.org.

SOURCE Good360