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To the Editor: 

This letter is written in very strong support of the CARD project of Alameda County. The purpose of CARD is to strengthen emergency preparedness for our communities through outreach and training to community based organizations (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs).  

I have been deeply involved in this field for many years and CARD has always been a strong and often singular voice in advocating for the needs of vulnerable populations in times of disaster. 

Given the role of CARD - to respond to, and advocate for, the needs of people who may be more vulnerable in a disaster because of age, disability, language or income - it becomes clear that CARD fills a very important gap in our communities.  

By working with traditional disaster response groups like the Red Cross and Office of Emergency Service, CARD improves the response to this population in emergencies and ensures that our more needy citizens are not forgotten in community disaster plans. 

In short, CARD is a vital resource in helping organizations serving persons who are homeless, elderly, disabled, in dependent care, etc., to plan for emergencies. CARD does this by sponsoring training programs and fostering mutual aid among CBOs.  

These efforts are critical to ensure that important services - e.g. daycare, home delivered meals, transportation, attendant support, residential care, etc. - will continue to our more at risk populations following a major disaster. 

CARD has built an award-winning model of community preparedness in Alameda County. In today’s context of heightened emergency planning it is critical that cost effective programs like the CARD project have the opportunity to continue to serve our communities and advocate for the citizens most at risk. I urge everyone interested in building a truly prepared community to support CARD of Alameda County. Thank you. 

Rob Stengel 

Berkeley