Before the earthquake, disaster plans and policies assumed most dwellings contained middle class households that purchased insurance, possessed financial resources, and experienced stable employment. In the San Francisco-Oakland area in 1989, the earthquake affected populations especially vulnerable to social upheaval due to poverty, lack of English language skills, disability, irregular immigrant status, and other factors that created special problems not considered in disaster recovery plans. Within the context of a community organization, they can most effectively assure that needs are identified and addressed without wasteful duplication of services. A formal, coordinated, cooperative faith-based community disaster response can avoid situations such as occurred in one southern town when a community fund and several churches all purchased rebuilding materials, but the shingles, plywood, and sheet rock lay idle around damaged homes because groups provided no volunteers for repairs and reconstruction. Survivors may be referred to other private and public helping agencies as their needs are matched to appropriate services.
Survivors learn about entitlements and how to help themselves.
Those intimidated by bureaucratic red tape learn about the system. Community education emphasizes preparedness, prevention, mitigation so the next disaster will have reduced impact. Experienced people and organizations both within and outside the community are contacted about volunteer needs in family advocacy, rebuilding and repair, and other areas of the recovery process. Provisions are made for orientation, training, room, board, and supervision of volunteers. By acting as an omnbudsman for people with special problems, other helping agencies are held accountable for delivery of services.