WHO WE ARE
We are a non-profit located in the Mid-Atlantic region that helps families recover from disasters by supporting essential community centers.
OUR IMPACT
Over the years, we’ve helped families return to normalcy after disasters by supporting schools and other essential centers of community life.
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After catastrophic flooding in western Maryland, we supported the community by joining other groups to help homeowners rebuild, and replacing a playground at Westernport Elementary School.
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Following Hurricane Harvey, we mobilized educators and community members to distribute essential supplies to families in need through school-based food pantries.
OUR STORY
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, Texas, causing billions of dollars in damage, and upending millions of lives. That summer, our founder John Marinelli—an eighth-grade history teacher at the time—partnered with fellow educators to turn local schools into hubs for disaster relief. Together, they mobilized trusted networks of teachers and community leaders to provide essential supplies to students and their families.
Today, we aim to expand this local effort into a national initiative. Recognizing that those closest to an emergency are best equipped to lead recovery efforts, we launched the Disaster Resilience and Response Network to empower communities in crisis.