How Can I Get My Neighbors To Be Prepared

Here is my dilemma: how can I get my neighbors to be prepared for the unexpected? I have mentioned to you before that I am asked to teach classes about food storage and emergency preparedness to churches, businesses, and subdivisions. Standing in front of groups, I can tell if they understand the importance of working together as a neighborhood. The looks in their eyes and the questions asked say a lot! Please note that I no longer teach classes.

Mark and I had dinner with friends last night, and we started talking about the importance of neighbors working together as a team if and when a disaster hits our neighborhood. About 15 years ago, I taught classes for one hour every Wednesday to whoever saw my sign outside that said “Food Storage Moms.”

I then sent out emails and posted my message about the FREE classes on Facebook. We also encouraged people to gather important documents and place them in a binder.

I charged a small fee for the binders at my cost. Mark and I provided the dividers, zippered bags, and paper protectors for pages to include in their binders. We shared food storage products by tasting the various freeze-dried fruits and vegetables for everyone who came to try them out.

Walkie Talkies

I had a few speakers from a search and rescue team come and talk about walkie-talkies. People must understand how to communicate when other options, like cell phones, don’t work. They suggested the ones we needed. Here are the ones they suggested at the time. Walkie Talkies

Well, two other families joined Mark and me on our quest to be connected by choosing channels on our walkie-talkies so we could check on each other after a disaster or pandemic. It’s frustrating for me not to be able to sell local churches and neighborhoods at my cost items as critical as these or my book, which has proven to help so many people willing to take the time to read it and apply the ideas presented.

Here’s the deal: I am not selling trinkets or frivolous items. I understand the tax issues, etc., but I am paying the taxes. So, for whatever excuses they have, very few were prepared in my old neighborhood. I’m grateful for those who are, but I can’t feed or hydrate the entire neighborhood.

I am writing this post to get ideas from you, my readers. I would love it if my neighborhood felt the need to be prepared. Do you sometimes wish you could shout from the rooftops, “Please store water, or how full is your pantry?” Is your gas tank partially full? Do you have flashlights with extra batteries, etc?

Maybe eight families in my old neighborhood were self-reliant or partially prepared. I know four families heeded my advice to get food storage and water.

People Living Paycheck To Paycheck

I realize some people live paycheck to paycheck, and I know that feeling—trust me. I decided to teach the world after conducting these meetings for a year.

If I can’t get more than a handful of my neighborhood to “get it,” I would try to teach whoever sees my blog.

New York Times

I will forever be grateful for being interviewed by The New York Times after six months of my blog going live. Then, I was honored to be asked to write a book called “Prepare Your Family For Survival.”

Then, I was interviewed by a group that helped gather information for Ted Koppel’s book Lights Out.

So today, I am asking for your help; how are you preparing your neighbors to work together as a team? Here are some things I have tried. I would love to add 50 ideas if you have them.

I realize that after a disaster like Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, people will “get it” after seeing the horrific water storms and empty grocery stores. Just in case, they may remember to fill their gas tanks to 3/4 full.

But what about three weeks from now or three months? Will they pick up an extra can of beans or a case of water? I need your help on this one today. Thank you so much for your attention and participation.

How Can I Get My Neighbors To Be Prepared

Team Members:

Decide who to invite to your neighborhood team. Or maybe they don’t have a team at all. Just hand out information when asked about it.

Emergency Contact Info:

We need to share family members’ phone numbers, emails, and addresses so they can be contacted in our family’s time of need.

72-Hour Kits:

Here is my long list, but have them pick and choose what fits their needs. 72-Hour Kits-Adult Size

Skills:

Ask what skills each person has to bring to the table if needed.

Tools:

What tools do the team players have, like chainsaws, if we need them after a disaster? That neighbor down the street may be your new best friend after a disaster.

First Aid Supplies:

Order first aid supplies in bulk and divide them as ordered, paid for in advance.

Food Storage:

Decide what food products people would like to purchase and save money by buying a case and splitting the cost.

Wheat Grinders:

Who has some electric ones, and who has hand-ground ones? Who has some hard wheat? Who knows how to make bread, biscuits, or crackers?

Water Storage:

Order high-capacity water tanks; you’ll save money and fill them with a Lead-free hose.

Order WaterBricks and split the cost if they are cheaper by purchasing eight to ten.

Decide what types of water containers people can store in their homes.

Order Water Preserver (you only need to rotate the water every five years). Water Preserver

Talk about how much water each family needs each day.

Solar Power Items:

Check Costco for a Roadshow for emergency preparedness items. Goal Zero has great prices when they come there. They have items needed for people who use CPAPs, Oxygen Concentrators, and nebulizers, to name just a few.

Paper Products:

Have everyone stock up on paper goods, like plates, paper towels, cups (hot and cold), and plastic silverware. Also, baby wipes, diapers, toilet paper, and Depends for those needing them.

Store black 33-gallon garbage bags; you will need many, trust me.

Fuel Storage:

Ask how much fuel each one has stored and what kind. Examples are propane, charcoal, lump charcoal, pine cones, raw wood, and butane canisters. Emergency Fuel To Store For Survival

Cooking Devices/Stoves:

See the kinds of outside cooking devices each family has, such as Camp Chef stoves/ovens, Volcano Stoves, Dax Stoves, and Butane stoves. Please practice with all cooking devices before you need them after a disaster.

Who has Dutch ovens and grills, how many, and what size?

Flashlights:

Flashlights are important! Ensure every family has several flashlights, batteries, and lanterns, to name a few items.

Large Equipment:

Who has access to a backhoe if needed?

Washing and Drying Clothes:

Who has clotheslines, washing buckets, and clothespins? Bleach is for safety measures.

Portable Potty:

Who has a portable potty with the necessary 10-gallon bags, with kitty litter or Portable Toilet Gel

Final Word

How can I get my neighbors to be prepared? It’s not if, but we must work together as a team when we have a disaster. Do you know your neighbors? Do you want to know your neighbors?

Survival Food Storage by Linda

Copyright Images: Friendly Neighborhood Depositphotos_11105899_S By Hannamariah, Residential Homes In A Row Depositphotos_648772330_S By Kzlobastov

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