Citizen Action Team Relief Database Delivering Help Real Time On Target

In response to Hurricane Katrina, the CAT Relief Database was launched in October, 2005.

all citizens CAT is a nationwide grassroots team of volunteers dedicated to enabling all citizens to make a difference in disaster relief.

In the first days after Katrina hit, hundreds of groups and individuals from around the country loaded up supplies to send them to the ravaged Gulf Coast.

Supplies were gratefully received, however …

Without organization and direction, some serious issues developed. It was hard for Americans to imagine what was happening in the Gulf. With limited storage space, some donations just created more problems. Some PODS had more than they could handle, some had almost nothing.

A team of the CAT Relief Database. grassroots volunteers in Massachusetts quickly responded with a tool to help manage the chaos.

Who is CAT?  We are politically unaffiliated private citizens.  We believe individuals and community groups will give more of their time, if we empower them with the tools to be more self- directed.  We believe that corporations will give more of their excess resources if they know exactly where the supplies will be used.  First project: Helping supply/rebuild the hurricane ravaged US gulf coast using an online database to determine what and where supplies are needed.  Anyone can be part of the team!

Get What You Need and Find Who Needs What You Have!! Hundreds of organizations on the Gulf and around the country have "facilities" listed in this database. The Database has the capability to match up needs with resources.

Organizations list what they need … and what they have available to share.

With a click of a button, the database matches who has what you need or who needs what you have. And gives you a list to work from.

Volunteering? Go to Quick Start and follow instructions.

Choose from a list of positions.

You’ll get a list of places needing your help. TIP: Organizations should make sure they list types of volunteers in their “ Needs ” list.

Let’s say have items to donate. Click on “ Items ” and scroll down or Ctrl. “F” to find the item you want to donate.

For example: extension cords. Click on “Show”.

You’ll get a list of places asking for extension cords.

Let’s get started! Go To…

www. reliefdatabase.org On the right side of the opening page you will see “Links To the Database.” Links to the Database Facilities List Availability/Needs Items Being Tracked Volunteer Positions You can choose any link to start with, but we will use the Volunteer Positions Link

Welcome to Your Database! Click on Login

Please Note  All main pages have the same header that looks like this.  You can go anywhere on the database from any of the main pages.  We encourage you to just click on these buttons to see what’s there.

If you are new Register Tip : Read all the small type first time around Click on “Register for an account.”

Fill in the blanks. And click the “sign up” button Now Stop! You MUST check your and “verify” your account for security. Go to your inbox and open the the CAT Dbase just sent you and click on the second URL link. That’s it. You’re registered. Nothing else will happen. Tip: Choose a login name and password that is easy for you to remember.

Go Back to the Database and Login  This time enter your Login ID and Password.  Click on the Login Button.

 Notice: If you are logged in, the header will say, “Logout.”  You can look around the database without logging in, but to edit your facility record, you must be logged in. TIP

ifwrite access You can now create or edit information in a facility, if you have “write access”.  What is “ write access ”?  If you created the facility (or you are going to create a new facility), you already have or will have it and can skip the next 2 slides.

 If someone else created your facility for you, simply write to us and request write access to your facility. Would be nice of you to include the URL.  Don’t know what a URL is? Then don’t worry about it.  It may take a day or two to get access. Or it may take 5 minutes.

After you have “ write access ”… Please give me write access to “the name of your facility.” My login ID is “whatever you made it.” My URL is Thanks, Suzi Q It may take a few days before you have “write access.” You should get an letting you know.

To Create a Facility Click on “ Enter New Facility.” NOTE: Before entering a NEW FACILITY, please try finding your facility. A volunteer might have already made a facility for you. If they have, you will need “write access” to edit it.

Enter information for your facility. NOTE: Read all small print first time around.

Click “ Create ” button to save your information. It’s located at the bottom after “Notes.”

To Find Your Facility Click on Facilities/ Organizations

Scroll Down to find your facility. Click Scroll Bar and drag it down. Then click on your facility name.

Or, hold down Ctrl. Key and hit “ F ” key to use the find function. Type the name of your facility or use a keyword in the name of your facility and Click “Find.”

Click out of “Find Box” and Click on Your Facility Name

To Edit Your Facility Scroll Down Until…

Green You see Green Type Click on “ Edit.” Then scroll up to the info you want to change. Note: If you are creating a facility record, you’ll already be in editing.

green Edit any of the information above the green type Perhaps you’d like to change the notes.

Tip Some questions will not apply to you. Some info will appear as “hidden” to the general public. Only those with write access to that facility can see this info. If you want the general public to have information that is marked “hidden”, put the information in the block for notes.

When you make changes to your facility record… Please make a note indicating what you did. Highlight existing content and enter new information. Again, read small print.

Don’t Forget to “SAVE Changes ” That button is always located down and to the left.

green Your facility’s Needs are listed under the green type.

To add items to this list click “ Quick Need Creator.” Note: An (*) indicates there are notes to show details about that particular item. Click “ Show ” to view them.

Needs are listed in columns A-Z Use the scroll bar to view more columns. Click and hold down the scroll bar, then drag it to the right.

Click in boxes next to items to add. Add as many items in different columns as you’d like.

Now, scroll back all the way to the left and down to the bottom of the page. You’ll pass blank lines to get to the bottom.

Use the drop down box to change “ Urgency ” to the status of most of your items. Can’t find the item you’re looking for?

First make sure the item is not already listed. Hold down Ctrl. Key and type “F.” Type in keyword of the item you are looking for and click “ Find.”

If no matches are found…

Type items you want to add here. One item per line. Read small print. Tip: You can clarify items with notes.

Notes You can attach notes to any item. Generally used to give more detail about the item Caution: If you’re adding multiple items- wait to add notes later. Adding them here will attach them to all items listed.

Save your items! Click on “Create” button. At the bottom of the screen.

List what you have to share under Available: Located under the Needs List. Note: By clicking on “Edit,” you can add notes to individual items.

Click on “Quick Availability Creator” Add items just like you did for Needs.

To Remove items, Change “ Urgency ” status or Qty. Click on Qty/Urgency Editor

To Remove an item Click box. Use drop down box to change Urgency status.

Scroll down to edit Availabilities Don’t forget to SAVE changes.

To find who needs what you have. green Click on green “ Show Availability Matches ”.

To find who has what you need. green Click on green “ Show Need Matches ”.

DaDa! A list of who needs what you have or has what you need. Tip : To see just info you want hide columns. The list automatically sorts by date. To sort by Urgency, click on the word “Urgency” at the top of the column. You can sort any column!

Need a cheat sheet? Facility/Organization No problem. Instructions appear at the top of the Facility/Organization listing. You’ll find other helpful information there too.

Still need help? Call us! We’ll be happy to help! Try Dayle first.

Go to Facility/Organizations Click here and scroll down to the “Notes.” All the information you need is in the dbase.

Who's in Charge?  At any point in time, different people are taking the lead on different topics....serve those in need  We are a peer-to-peer network of people with the same goal...serve those in need.  If you have an idea and want to take the lead, please let us know. We can probably help you realize your ideas. serve with integrity/respect  Our only rule is that you don't step on others and you serve with integrity/respect for individuals and the group as a whole.  For information on who is doing what, visit the Who’s in Charge page on our web site.

For everything you did! For everything you continue to do!

This Presentation was created by City Action Partnership B i r m i n g h a m, A l a b a m a Designed by Laura Edited by Dayle for Terra and the Citizen Action Team Relief Database Team Distribute Freely but do not change slides without permission from the team.