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With a mission to serve, Sister Corps is a group of women who travel across the US to help restore communities impacted by natural disasters. This organization includes women skilled in different areas, that when they come together, make a huge impact on communities in need of environmental relief. Starting in 2017 with Sisters on the Fly, Sister Corps traveled to Port Aransas ready to help after Hurricane Harvey. Since then, the team has been expanding, taking on more jobs, and growing their efforts. We got to chat with Gena Curtis, one of the directors of Sister Corps, to learn more about the organization and what they’ve been up to recently.
As mentioned, Sister Corps first project was in Port Aransas after Hurricane Harvey. They came together and traveled to the Texas coast to help the community after FEMA and the news crews left. They knew there were people who had been overlooked after this disaster hit, and that’s exactly who they went to assist. The team comes in with many different skills including reflooring, painting, and everything in between. From this, those impacted by Hurricane Harvey could get back to some normalcy in a safe environment.
So How Does Sister Corps Identify Individuals to Support?
Many individuals who receive support from Sister Corps come from word of mouth within the community. Volunteers in this organization are spread out all over the US and into Canada. Because of this, many of these ladies are aware of what’s going on throughout their state and down into specific counties. As soon as someone in the group identifies a need within a town, they bring it up and immediately jump in.
With Growth Comes Knowledge
For the past 6 years, Sister Corps has been growing and continues to expand its reach, not only with volunteers but also with other organizations. They’ve been able to build partnerships with the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) across the US which works closely with FEMA and the EOC. With this partnership in place, they can get real-time updates from areas that need rebuilding and community relief.
So What’s The Process?
Sister Corps gets information from the people who are on site early on. From there they round up their team and travel to the impacted area and assess the damage. At that point, they buy all of the materials needed to rebuild homes.
How Does the Team Travel?
Many of the women in Sister Corps commute to these locations with their travel trailers in tow. They set up camp as close as they can get to the disaster to ensure they can get in and start helping as soon as possible.
What Kind of Skills Are Needed to Join Sister Corps?
This organization includes women with many different skillsets. From flooring specialists to installers, and everything in between – Sister Corps has it all!
Now, you don’t need to have a construction background to join these ladies. They also have designated runners that go from place to place, assisting team members who are laying new flooring or cutting up tile. Additionally, the organization provides meals for its volunteers and is always looking for people to assist in the kitchen. Plus, there are always opportunities to learn new skill sets while on and in between projects. No matter what, they’ll has a spot for you!
Work full-time but want to join?
No problem! You can join whenever it works for your schedule. The organization has many women who work full-time and jump in where they can.
There is so much to learn about Sister Corps so make sure to check out their website if you’d like more information on how to volunteer with this incredible group of women! And make sure to listen to our podcast with Gena to learn more about what they’ve been up to.
Helpful Links for episode 171
- All RV Small Talk Episodes
- Princesscraft.com | Princess Craft RV
- Princess Craft Blog
- Sister Corps Website
