A community disaster or crisis is never a question of “if,” but “when.” To better prepare, United Way of South Central Michigan has unveiled an effort to accelerate the Capital Area’s ability to meet social needs when disaster strikes.
The Capital Area Disaster Response Consortium (CADRC) will link nonprofits, government agencies and businesses to meet social needs quickly and efficiently in times of emergency, crisis or disaster. At a news conference announcing CADRC, McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation announced a grant of $50,000 to the effort.
“We hear directly from our patients about their needs and those of their family—needs made significantly more critical during times of crisis,” said Lynn Griffor, Vice President of the McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation. “While also reflecting our belief in being prepared and offering service with compassion, supporting the CADRC initiative further strengthens our collective ability to respond to future crises with clarity and coordination, and we are pleased to contribute to such an impactful program.”
CADRC is modeled after successful consortiums in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties, said Teresa Kmetz, Executive Development & Marketing Officer for United Way of South Central Michigan and site leader for UWSCMI’s Capital Area office. Those consortiums include 100 local and regional partners who meet regularly to plan their response before a disaster occurs. They were started by United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region prior to its 2022 merger with Capital Area United Way. UWSCMI continues to raise and provide critical funds for the consortiums.
“CADRC is an example of how the merger continues to enhance services right here in our local community,” said Kmetz. “Capital Area communities already mobilize emergency response exceptionally well in a crisis. CADRC doesn’t replace that strength but rather augments it in specific ways. We focus on preparing, coordinating and enhancing nonprofit action on people’s immediate needs and long-term recovery.”
The first orders of business for the consortium include growing the network and hiring a Community Resilience Program Manager. The Community Resilience Program Manager serves the consortium by organizing partner meetings, networking with emergency response personnel, and coordinating response when needed.
Kmetz applauded McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation for its grant. “McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation is an outstanding community partner. Their generous support helps jumpstart the consortium in a vital way,” she said.
How Kalamazoo Consortium Responded to 2024 Tornado
The tornado that devastated parts of Kalamazoo County in May 2024 proved the mettle of the consortium model. With winds topping 130 miles per hour, the tornado destroyed at least 60 buildings in Portage and adjoining townships, damaged hundreds of other structures, toppled 48,000 trees, and caused $50 million in damage. The Kalamazoo County Disaster Response Consortium organized nonprofits’ response. That included grants totaling $460,000 from UWSCMI’s Disaster Relief Fund to a dozen agencies to help accelerate recovery.
“Immediately after the storm, we were able to coordinate with local government, response teams, volunteers and nonprofit partners to identify people’s needs, find gaps, and deploy resources and volunteers quickly,” said Renwick Ballew, Community Resilience Program Manager for the Kalamazoo County consortium.
“I’m excited to see CADRC bring that same capability to communities throughout the Capital Area,” Ballew added.
Kmetz said UWSCMI has already started recruiting local partners to the consortium. The faster the consortium grows, the quicker the community will be prepared for the next crisis, she said. To learn how to become a partner in the Capital Area Disaster Response Consortium, contact Celaina Boylan-Castilla, UWSCMI Community Impact Associate, at [email protected]. 
