York County Community Organizations Active in Disaster
Strong Households. Connected Communities. A More Resilient York County
Building a More Resilient Community
Community resiliency is about more than being ready when severe weather is in the forecast. It is about helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities build the resources, connections, and plans they need to navigate challenges and recover when the unexpected happens.
At United Way of York County, our work focuses on helping families achieve financial stability. That work is closely connected to disaster resiliency.
For an ALICE household already working hard to make ends meet, an unexpected emergency can have a lasting financial impact. Lost wages, spoiled food, evacuation expenses, home repairs, transportation costs, or an insurance deductible can quickly stretch an already tight household budget.
Building a more resilient York County means helping families prepare for those moments while also strengthening the community connections and resources that help people recover.
Connected Communities Recover Together
Individual preparedness matters, but no household prepares or recovers entirely on its own. York County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (YC-COAD) brings together nonprofits, government agencies, faith-based organizations, businesses, healthcare providers, and other community partners to strengthen coordination before, during, and after disasters.
By building relationships before an emergency happens, organizations can better share information, coordinate resources, identify unmet needs, reduce duplication of services, and help individuals and families move toward recovery.
That coordination helps build a community where families are better positioned not only to respond to an emergency, but to recover without losing the financial stability they have worked hard to build.
For more information or questions regarding YC-COAD, please contact Kristin Taylor at ktaylor@unitedwayofyc.org
Resilience Starts Before a Disaster
We often think about disaster response as what happens after an emergency. But some of the most important work happens long before a storm arrives.
Not every household will be able to prepare in the same way. The goal isn’t to be prepared for every possible situation. It is to identify what could make your household more vulnerable during an emergency and take manageable steps to strengthen it.
Resiliency can look like:
- Having emergency supplies at home.
- Knowing where to go during severe weather.
- Having a plan for your family and pets.
- Knowing how to access trusted community resources.
- Building emergency savings when possible.
- Understanding your insurance coverage and maintaining coverage.
- Keeping important documents accessible.
- Knowing your neighbors and who may need additional support.
- Having organizations and community partners connected before they are needed.
Financial Stability Is Disaster Resiliency
An emergency doesn’t have to destroy a home to create a financial crisis. A few days without work can mean a smaller paycheck. A prolonged power outage can mean replacing a refrigerator full of groceries. Evacuating may mean unexpected hotel, transportation, or meal expenses. Storm damage may mean paying an insurance deductible or covering repairs that insurance doesn’t.
For families already balancing the rising costs of housing, food, childcare, transportation, and other necessities, those unexpected expenses can have an impact long after the immediate emergency has passed.
Building financial resiliency can’t prevent an emergency, but it can help a household be better positioned to manage unexpected costs and recover afterward.
Take One Step Toward Resiliency
Building resilience doesn’t have to happen all at once. There are small steps that can be taken each month to begin preparedness for your family.
Community resiliency can also start with a conversation.
Ask yourself, your family, or your neighbors:
✓ If we had to leave our home quickly, what would we take?
✓ Where would we go during severe weather?
✓ What would our children or pets need during an emergency?
✓ Do we have the medications and medical supplies we would need?
✓ Where are our important documents and insurance information?
✓ Could we manage an unexpected $100, $250, or $500 expense following an emergency?
✓ Who could we call for help?
✓ Is there someone nearby who may need us to check on them?
✓ What is one thing we could do today to make our household more resilient?
You don’t have to have every answer. Sometimes identifying the question you can’t answer is the first step toward becoming more resilient.
YC-COAD Partners
Housing, Shelter, & Recovery
- Bethel Shelters
- Catawba Area Coalition for the Homeless (CACH)
- Habitat for Humanity
- Housing Development Corporation of Rock Hill
- Pathways Community Center
- Pilgrim’s Inn
- Rock Hill Housing Authority
- Safe Passage
- The Haven Men’s Shelter
Basic Needs, Family, & Community Support
- Clover Area Assistance Center
- A Father’s Way
- Salvation Army
- South Carolina Department of Social Services
- Tender Hearts Ministries
- York County Council on Aging
Health, Behavioral Health, & Medical Services
- Atrium Health
- Piedmont Medical Center
- South Carolina Department of Mental Health
Disaster Response, Emergency Management, & Critical Infrastructure
- American Red Cross
- York County Emergency Management
- York County Natural Gas Authority
Community Coordination & Volunteer Support
- United Way of York County
- York Baptist Association
- Winthrop University
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Legal, Advocacy, & Long-Term Recovery
- South Carolina Legal Services
- South Carolina Office of Resilience
