Get a Kit, Give a Kit campaign launched

Published 3:35 pm Tuesday, August 31, 2010

As the one-year anniversary of the epic North Georgia floods approaches, reminding us of the 10 deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to some 20,000 homes and businesses, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s (GEMA) Ready Georgia campaign, the American Red Cross and Georgia Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) launches a campaign to help Georgians prepare themselves and others for the unexpected.

Kicking off National Preparedness Month in September, ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ is the state’s new effort to encourage residents to purchase a Ready kit of emergency supplies that can make them their own first responders for the initial 72 hours following a disaster and help those in need do the same.

“For less than $50, you can get a Ready kit for your home, office or car,” said Charley English, director of GEMA/Homeland Security.  “This is a small price to pay for peace of mind and ensuring that your community is prepared.”

To purchase a Ready kit for yourself or a loved one or to donate to a fund to help Georgia disaster survivors, Georgians can turn to the American Red Cross at GeorgiaRedCross.org.  Every person who donates to the ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ campaign will be entered to win a football autographed by Ovie Mughelli, fullback for the Atlanta Falcons.

“You may not realize that just a few key items can save your life,” said Tim English, CEO of the American Red Cross, Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter.  “By making a small donation to the ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ campaign, you can provide first aid to a child hurt during a tornado or essential items for a family that lost its home.”

Launched at the state’s inaugural Prepare Georgia Summit, a gathering of Georgia’s emergency preparedness, business and community leaders on Aug. 30 to discuss preparedness solutions throughout the state, ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ will continue until year’s end.

“The gift of preparedness is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give,” said Mike Yoder, president of Georgia VOAD.  “Our hope is that the ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ campaign makes its way onto everyone’s holiday, birthday and charitable contributions list this year.”

In addition to purchasing a kit, Georgians can turn to Ready Georgia’s website ready.ga.gov and use the interactive preparedness tool to generate custom checklists of emergency supplies and tailored communications plans.  Users can also log on with loved ones to help them create their own plan.

For more information on the ‘Get a Kit, Give a Kit’ campaign to help get Georgia ready, visit ready.ga.gov or GeorgiaRedCross.org.