I am Here and Every Day is a Gift

View as web page February 9, 2015 The National Preparedness Community Featured Member Profile We're excited to introduce community member Erika Mahoney. As the Executive Director of Do 1 Thing, each day she shares the importance of emergency preparedness. Read her story below. But first, we ask: how do we ensure that everyone has access to emergency preparedness information? From Erika Mahoney:  "Planning for emergencies and disasters has always been my passion! As a little girl, I saw an open basement on my uncle's property. I asked why there was a basement but no home above it. That was when I learned what a tornado was. Even then, I was the one preparing my own family for emergencies, always asking my parents to make plans in case disaster strikes. At the age of five I had a tornado shelter spot picked out in the basement under my dad's workbench.    I had never heard of emergency management as a career, but right before I finished my last class at Michigan State University, I was offered an AmeriCorps VISTA position working with a local nonprofit called Do 1 Thing (do1thing.com).    Do 1 Thing is a program that empowers people with the message that emergency preparedness can be easy and affordable, and that even small steps toward preparedness can make a difference.     During that first year, at a local senior center, a woman told me that she had lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Then she smiled and said, 'But I am here and every day is a gift. Losing all your possessions is hard, but that is all replaceable. I am grateful I lived and that I am here today to tell my story.' She really touched my heart. I truly found a job that never feels like work but more like I am just able to help people." Erika Mahoney, MSA, PEM holds two Bachelor of Arts Degrees from Michigan State University in Psychology and Sociology. Erika also has her Masters of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. In 2014 she was named a White House Champion of Change for her work in emergency preparedness.   Ready Campaign Federal Emergency Management Agency   Washington D.C., 20472 Questions? Contact Us Manage Email Settings Request Help Unsubscribe This email was sent to k34101050@gmail.com on behalf of: Ready Campaign · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Washington, DC 20528 · 202-282-8000

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