Love City Strong began as a small group of St. John residents who came together in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 to help our community. Our group was quickly recognized by federal and local first responders, and we were brought in on multiple immediate response and recovery projects ranging from emergency evacuations to supply chain logistics and donations management. In November 2017, we officially became Love City Strong, Inc., a 501(c)(3) status nonprofit organization recognized in the United States and the US Virgin Islands. We began doing business as a nonprofit in January 2018. Our short term programs are aimed at addressing critical needs resulting from disasters, like the 2017 storms and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our long term programs focus on increasing preparedness on St. John through multiple complementary sectors. Planning for future challenges presented by natural disasters is our primary goal and purpose. Our approach to Disaster Preparedness has three components which seek to ensure that St. John is more prepared than ever. Supply Readiness: We have established 3 secure storage facilities across the island that house a variety of response and recovery supplies, including FEMA commodities like boxed water and MREs. These supplies can easily be distributed after a disaster impact by our team and alongside our partners. Team Readiness: Our team has received extensive first responder training from BBC Electric, St. John Rescue, the USVI Department of Health, FEMA, and VITEMA. We believe that regular training and professional development are key to making us more effective as first responders. Community Outreach: We have established a seasonal, standby expansion of our Go Team, who are ready to deploy for door-to-door wellness checks and supply distribution in the event of a disaster. We have also established a standby road clearing team, who are ready to deploy in the event of a disaster and are trained in proper equipment safety and use. In blue skies, we spend our time working with local and federal partners distributing preparedness information and executing annual readiness programs, like mass-distribution of sandbags. Thanks to our policy of leveraging talent from within the community and preparing for a variety of hazards before they occur, when a disaster strikes our team is able to move quickly and pivot to address multiple needs. At the core of everything we do, we strive to act with integrity, respect the communities we serve and work within, and to own our decisions and their consequences. Support our work, and donate today.