Leaders from area municipalities, churches, nonprofits, government organizations, emergency services, fire & rescue, and more are invited to attend a free event next week aimed at sharing information about the Cullman County resources available in the event of a local disaster … and perhaps, in the bargain, even being persuaded to join the cause.

Hosted by United Way of Cullman County, the free program will be held Tuesday, Oct. 22 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Desperation Church Student Center in Cullman. The event is intended to inform local leaders about how United Way mobilizes volunteers through the Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disaster (VOAD) network, a mesh of key area volunteer personnel dedicated to fostering efficient and coordinated services to the area through four phases of disaster preparedness: preparation, response, recovery and mitigation.

During the no-cost program, guests can learn about an array of close-at-hand resources and organizations equipped to help in times of need. The event will highlight disaster preparedness while connecting local community members, enabling them to find out how to make the community more resilient by lending their strength during times of local crisis.