Scenes from Disaster Aid USA projects. Upper left: Mark and Nancy Matthews with a homeowner whose home they helped restore
It began with a visit to the House of Friendship, one of the best parts of the Rotary International Convention. There, Mark Matthews, a member of Rotary Club of La Mesa (and Val Myer’s brother-in-law), learned about Disaster Aid USA (DAUSA). At the time, Mark was nearing retirement from the restoration company he founded in 1980, Christian Brothers Emergency Building Services. DAUSA provided a perfect opportunity for him to apply his skills to help those whose homes were in the path of a disaster. Mark and his wife Nancy spoke at our March 2, 2023 meeting. They showed a number of pictures from properties they’d worked on in Texas and Florida.
DAUSA was established in 2010 and members of its Board of Directors are all active Rotarians who represent all of the Rotary Zones in the United States. They leverage the broad Rotary network to ensure that they work effectively with members of affected communities and focus their efforts on those most in need. They serve as a “muck and gut” team that tarps roofs, removes downed trees and vegetation as well as household debris. They also help prep meals.
DAUSA rebuilds communities by first assessing needs and then securing and delivering aid with the help of Disaster Aid Response Teams (DARTs) that work directly with those who have been impacted by disaster.