Virtual Warehouse Launched for Lake County
02-05-2007
Leesburg, Fla. -- A "virtual warehouse" has been launched to assist the tornado victims in Central Florida.
Neighbors to the Rescue™ virtual warehouses are community-based, community-controlled vehicles for helping people recover from disasters. We help communities keep track of surplus items and pro bono services and match them up with people who have lost everything in the same geographical area.
The virtual warehouse for Central Florida covers the three counties impacted by recent tornadoes. It is being managed by dedicated volunteers through the support of First Baptist Church of Leesburg, which has agreed to partner with Volunteer Florida Foundation to expedite help to families in need.
Neighbors to the Rescue is a program of the Volunteer Florida Foundation, with affiliated programs across Florida.
The Virtual Warehouse is a web-based system that allows the community to help others in need by providing donations such as furniture, clothing, household items and even services. Donations are entered into the virtual warehouse and volunteers look for matches for those donations, which can then be transferred directly from the donor to the person in need.
The Virtual Warehouse model debuted shortly after Hurricane Katrina and is now being used several communities in Florida to respond to people impacted by disasters.
For more information about Neighbors to the Rescue, contact Suzanne Yack at suzanne.yack@vfffund.org.