How Arizona homeowners can get help after natural disasters hit

After a disaster hits, assistance provided by government agencies can be limited and is sometimes not enough. In these instances, independent and nonprofit organizations can help communities start rebuilding.

Adriana Akinwande, human services coordinator in the Emergency Management Division of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, said the state works with the Arizona Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and other organizations in the private sector to help meet the needs of disaster victims.

“At times, the county will say, ‘Do you have a contact for this need?’ And so then we'll reach out for a goal and partners to help fill in those gaps,” Akinwande said.

Arizona VOAD is a nonprofit that serves more than 57 organizations that provide disaster-related services. Member organizations can be faith-based, community-based, other nonprofits and government organizations. The list includes several organizations like Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that helps with debris management, expedient home repairs and hazard mitigation.

The list has addresses and contact information for each organization. Here are some of the major organizations that assist with damages to homes.

How does Red Cross help after natural disaster?

The Red Cross is the leading organization in humanitarian aid in the U.S., Jim Gilloon, a spokesperson with the Red Cross said. The organization "evaluates the needs of the individual by meeting the families and terminating their immediate needs after evacuating due to large or small disasters," he said.

The Red Cross also assists in setting up shelters after disasters impact an area.

“The main purpose of these shelters is to make sure everybody's comfortable, they have a safe place to stay, food to eat and other critical support. We have mental health volunteers, and we have doctors on board there if somebody needs attention,” Gilloon said.

The shelters are set up at school gymnasiums or large community centers so that people can have access to showers, restrooms and sleeping areas. The Red Cross also partners with other organizations, like the Salvation Army, to provide resources such as meals, snacks and water to the evacuees.

People working at the shelters can provide information on who to contact to recover important documents.

Gilloon said if someone gets the order to evacuate and needs a place to shelter, they can call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), download the app or go to their website at redcross.org to find shelter locations.

Gilloon said the Red Cross evaluates the cases of families who have been impacted "to get them back on their feet and return home as long it is safe to." Depending on each person's case, the Red Cross might provide assistance such as funding or placing them on hotels.

"It all depends on the client after we evaluate their situation," Gilloon said.

How Salvation Army can help after disaster

The Salvation Army is also present when a natural disaster occurs. This organization provides “food services, emotional and spiritual care,” according to Major David Yardley, The Salvation Army southwest division general secretary for business. In some occasions, they have given out clothing vouchers.

The organization also helps with donation management to make sure items are getting to those in need.

The Salvation Army website states they work with local, state and federal governments to form a plan that addresses restoration and rebuilding projects with financial help and donations.

Yardley said each disaster is supported differently, and when funding is available, the Salvation Army helps with long-term recovery with things such as gift cards, utilities or a place to stay in the first months.

“We try to connect (people) with all the resources that are available to them that have been made known and making sure that they're where their next step is and helping them,” Yardley said. “And if we're on-site, if we have our service unit, we’ll continue to work with them, even when it could be a year, a year and a half out as long as the resources are there.”

When there is a disaster, different organizations, including The Salvation Army, are at the shelters or centers that have been set up so that people know what resources are available to them. Other way to reach The Salvation Army is finding the phone or address of the nearest center through their website.

How United Way helps

An organization that could be a good start for people in need who don’t know what resources are available to help them is United Way.

Joshua Pedersen, interim senior director of 211 at United Way, said the organization was designed to help connect people with community programs and services. The 211 service, which partners closely with the United Way and is operated with different organizations, is a source of information about local resources and services across the county.

“We're kind of that community connector. So when people are not sure where to go, the 211 hotline or United Way can be that linkage to the community programs that are available. And again, it's meant to supplement or fill in the gaps when FEMA or a private insurance might not be available,” Pedersen said.

Calls to the 211 hotline are anonymous, according to Pedersen.

People can call 211 for different types of support such as information on health services, emergency food services or food distribution site, Pedersen said. They also partner with transportation programs and after-school programs, among others.

“The 211 can help them know about available services, whether it be low-cost housing, utility programs or just getting back on their feet, finding childcare programs or access to transportation services, those kinds of things,” Pedersen said.

Since housing can be critical when disaster strikes, so Pedersen said the United Way looks for "creative" ways to help people access it. He also said the United Work works closely with housing programs such as the Continuum of Care and the Housing Authority.

Help can include rapid re-housing programs vouchers for subsidized rent or homeownership programs, where people could get a grant from the government or a nonprofit for a down payment. United Way can also connect people, such as senior residents, with repair programs.

“It is kind of that spectrum. … Whether it be homeless or trying to get government assistance or trying to buy your own home or if you have a home, try to keep it, that’s where United Way can step in. … We really want to meet people where they're at and help them succeed in becoming independent or self-sufficient as possible,” Pedersen said.

The United Way also helps fund the nonprofit programs that are in place to help people in need, said Pedersen. He said when the United Way receives monetary donations or goods, they coordinate to get it to organizations that provide services directly to people that need it.

“We can step in and say, can we help you with a grant to open up the funding or do you need donations directed your way. United Way is that convener or that philanthropic leader to help rally some of the resources to come in to help with a wildfire,” Pedersen said.

Besides calling 211 or going to their website to receive guidance on resources, people can also go to the United Way website and search for their local one.

In some instances, United Way partners with the county to respond to a community issue.

Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: These groups help Arizona homeowners after fire, floods, disasters