Inside the First 72 Hours: What It’s Like to Be a Ground Force Volunteer After a Storm
When disaster strikes, the clock starts ticking. Within hours of a storm’s landfall, Ground Force Humanitarian Aid volunteers are already mobilizing. The first 72 hours are critical—not only for affected communities, but for our teams on the ground. This is the window when chaos meets compassion, when trucks roll in and hope is hand-delivered.
In this blog, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to set up relief efforts in those first vital hours—straight from the perspective of our volunteers. Whether you’re considering signing up, thinking about donating, or just curious about the impact of your support, here’s what you help make possible.
Step One: Setting Up SAFE Camp
When the roads clear and our convoy arrives, the first priority is establishing a SAFE Camp—our Swift Action Force Emergency base. This is no small feat. Volunteers work quickly and cohesively to create a reliable hub where storm survivors can access:
- Hot meals
- Internet and charging stations
- Supply distribution (water, diapers, hygiene products, medical kits)
- Emotional support and vital information
Every SAFE Camp serves as a beacon of stability in the middle of chaos—a place where survivors can breathe, recharge, and be seen.
These camps don’t appear out of nowhere. Your donations fund the tents, the generators, the fuel, the transportation, and the very infrastructure that makes this possible.
Step Two: Organizing Supplies and Teams
Within hours of arriving, volunteers become logistics coordinators, medics, cooks, and counselors.
Supplies are sorted, categorized, and deployed. Diapers in one tent. Pet food in another. Medical volunteers prep kits and check in on people. Meanwhile, the Data-Driven Remote Team is working in the background—mapping survivor needs, tracking resources, and directing volunteers where they’re needed most.
Our volunteer force is trained for this—often through our Swift Intervention Training program—and it shows. The speed, empathy, and precision they bring to the table are nothing short of heroic.
Step Three: Going Door-to-Door with Community Caretaking
Not everyone can make it to SAFE Camp. That’s why, within those first three days, volunteers also begin in-home visits—especially for the elderly, disabled, or those without transportation. They clean up debris, deliver medications, offer comfort, and make sure no one is forgotten.
This is one of the most powerful parts of our mission. Volunteers don’t just bring supplies; they bring humanity. And they do it with compassion, creativity, and love.
Why This Matters
When you give to Ground Force, you’re not just donating to a cause—you’re fueling an unstoppable chain of human-centered action:
- Your $50 could fund gas for a volunteer team to reach a stranded family.
- Your $100 could feed 200 people at SAFE Camp.
- Your monthly support ensures we’re ready to deploy before the next storm hits.
Every tarp we lay down, every meal we serve, every person we reach—starts with someone like you deciding to make a difference.
Join the Movement
We’re building more than relief efforts—we’re building disaster-ready communities.
If you’ve ever wondered how you can make an impact, the time is now. Whether you join us in the field, support us online, or give monthly—you’re part of a force that ensures no one is left behind.
✅ Share this post with your network
✅ Give monthly to power swift interventions https://groundforce.ngo/donate-by-credit-card/
✅ Sign up to volunteer—be the person someone is praying will show up https://www.stability.org/register
Together, we do more than respond. We rebuild hope, restore dignity and remember humanity.
