Submitted By Maria Shriver, California First Lady and Honorary Chair of CaliforniaVolunteers
Being a mother is the greatest role I will ever have and it is no surprise that my four children will always come first in my life. As a mom, I understand the important role we as mothers play–we are the nurturers and care-givers who keep our family together. That is why today I am talking to all of you mothers in California–wherever and whoever you are–about an important issue we face in our state and that is, we as mothers must prepare our families to be ready for disasters.
We live in a beautiful state, but it is a state where disasters are common. Wildfires, earthquakes, winter storms and even man-made disasters can happen without warning. You and I, as mothers, share a common urgency to bear responsibility for our own safety, the safety of our families, our communities and our state.
Consider this: Since 1950, 255 states of emergency have been proclaimed in California. And since 1989, there have been 27 declared major disasters. Despite the constant threat of unexpected disasters, more than 70 percent of California families do not have a family disaster plan. That statistic is perhaps our state’s greatest disaster of all.
There are so many reasons why getting ready today should be a priority for every family throughout our state. And I am working with CaliforniaVolunteers to encourage families to take action by preparing your families for disasters.
Our initiative is called WE Prepare and features many tools and activities to help families get ready, through www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org :
• An online tool to help identify your family’s current risk, including what natural or man-made disasters pose potential threats and to help determine your family’s current level of preparedness.
• A fill-in-the-blank family plan that tells everyone where to meet if you have to evacuate; who you’ve identified as an out-of-state “family contact;” how to get emergency information in your community and how to take care of your family pets.
• A customizable children’s story designed to teach children how to be disaster prepared in a fun, non-threatening way.
I’m hoping you’ll join us to empower other moms to follow your lead by being disaster ready. We are currently recruiting local moms to be a part of our “Moms Brigade,” a group of influential mom advocates who can help us spread the word to other moms about the importance of being disaster prepared.
As a leader of your home and a member of your community, I’m asking you to join the Moms Brigade today. Through your leadership and support, we can make sure all of our friends and neighbors take action to get ready.
