RV Select Review: 1st Quarter Edition

United Peace Relief uses RVs to aid in disaster relief

“I had this vision that we would have RVs in all corners and the center of the United States set up and ready to respond to disasters,” said Executive Director Lynn Meadows.

That vision has moved closer to reality as three people have donated the use of their RVs. United Peace Relief, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, has them stationed in Louisiana, Florida and California. They are set up to be soup kitchens, first aid stations or to house volunteers doing reconstruction.

In September 2006, they were able to use their California RV to aid in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane John in Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

“It was incredible,” Meadows said. “United Peace Relief operates on a shoe-string. We are all volunteers. When we go out on a disaster money is not one of our selling points.”

But just before they left the money started pouring in. They were able to network with the Manhattan Beach Sister City Committee, which had already raised $2,500 to help their sister city, but did not have a group of people to go down.

Soon more came in, as word got to the International Community Foundation they decided to send $15,000, with $10,000 being earmarked for the local hospital.

Meadows and her partner Deborah Mead loaded up their '86 Toyota RV and headed on down.

They parked the RV in front of the Mulegé hospital and used it to provide a first aid station and as housing for themselves. They were able to hook it up to the hospital’s electricity, making it so they could use the air conditioning, a big luxury in a disaster zone, Meadows said.

The hospital had been flooded with three feet of water, so they helped wash it with their power washer and cleaned out all of the mud.

Meadows used her experience as a physician’s assistant to go through with the director of the Mulegé hospital and figure out what supplies were needed. She worked closely helping the hospital doctors see patients as fast as they could. Her local hospital in Ukiah, Calif., sent down sterile supplies, which were in short supply.

“We were on a mission and we made a huge difference,” Meadows said. “Just two women over 50 in an old RV. We had an incredible road trip.”

Though they are within driving distance of many of the areas where disasters typically hit you can never know for sure where a disaster is going to happen, Meadows said.

That is why she would like to further expand their network of RVs and people ready to respond.

People who have RVs can volunteer them for use with disaster relief. United Peace Relief then tries to raise the money for supplies and gas at the disaster site.

“Disaster volunteers are special people who are inspired to help others, and do this kind of work,” Meadows said. “We are definitely alternative. We believe in promoting peace, so we tend to attract people that embrace our mission of promoting peace.”

The promotion of peace goes straight to the organizations roots as an offshoot of Veterans for Peace.

When Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Veterans for Peace made a call for volunteers to aid in disaster relief.

“Their mission is to end war and they were overwhelmed with disaster relief,” Meadows said. “So we decided to start United Peace Relief as a disaster relief organization.”

Since Katrina, United Peace Relief has had a constant presence in the Gulf and they are planning a big push for more volunteers this summer.

“The devastation goes on for 200 miles,” Meadows said. “They say it’s going to take years to pull out of this. Our goal is to not forget them.”

In addition to people who are able to help with reconstruction she said there is also a need for counselors and entertainers to help raise people’s morale and hope.

The sites where they are working have places where people can park their RVs. They aren’t official campsites, but there are bathrooms and showers nearby.

As United Peace Relief expands they would like to create chapters across the United States.

“We need people who can do all parts of this work,” Meadows said. “People don’t necessarily need to be able to deploy if there is a disaster.”

People interested in finding out more can visit their website at UnitedPeaceRelief.org.