Last summer, after destructive May and June storms rolled across Central Oklahoma, the Community Safety Foundation – a foundation funded by CSAA Insurance Group, an AAA insurer – awarded a grant to Architecture for Humanity to help implement a regional disaster resiliency plan.
Audrey Galo, the program coordinator for the Resilient Oklahoma program, said that the grant will allow the group to focus on improving disaster preparedness programming and education for the communities in need.
Through the Resilient Oklahoma program, a team of licensed architects will help vulnerable communities adopt best practices in resiliency and disaster preparedness. These trained professionals will lead public workshops to identify preparedness needs, available resources, and create community-specific solutions.
The one-year program will include three phases of implementation: community identification through outreach and assessments; technical services and training; and evaluation to measure and document impact and scalability. This program will be made available free of charge to all local communities.
Some areas of focus may include: mobile home communities; families with income limitations prohibiting installation of or proximity to storm shelters; those with mobility constraints, such as the elderly and people with disabilities.
The Resilient Oklahoma program is currently seeking two design professionals who will work with local rebuilding organizations and travel to communities to engage community residents in public workshops.