Equal Justice Works Joins National Partners in the Fifth Annual Disaster Resilience Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 6, 2025— Equal Justice Works, the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, announced today that the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness, the American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), Legal Services Corporation (LSC), National VOAD, ProBono.net, SBP, and the World Institute on Disability (WID) will join the organization in the fifth annual Disaster Resilience Awareness Month this March.  

In 2021, Equal Justice Works created Disaster Resilience Awareness Month as a collaborative effort to raise awareness for disaster-related challenges, provide resources for survivors and advocates, and highlight the important role that legal professionals play in disaster recovery and resilience efforts. This year, national partners will join Equal Justice Works in an educational campaign to share resources related to disaster preparedness, response, and resilience with community members. 

“We are thrilled to band together during our fifth annual installment of Disaster Resilience Awareness Month with these other incredible organizations to share resources, educational events, and best practices in disaster resilience,” said Linda Anderson Stanley, senior director of programs at Equal Justice Works. “The benefit of bringing this community together for campaigns like Disaster Resilience Awareness Month has never been greater as disasters continue to impact our nation with greater frequency and severity.” 

“We recognize the importance of disaster resilience and the need to build local disaster -specific legal and appeals capacity,” said Amanda Ree, Red Cross Director of Wildfire Long-Term Recovery Programs. “We are proud to be participating in Disaster Resilience Awareness Month again this year. Community capacity building is tied to long-term resilience.”   

“We know that natural hazards are coming with greater frequency and severity, and therefore disaster preparedness is essential for all communities, but especially those most often overlooked in disaster recovery,” said Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of Center for Disaster Philanthropy. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to highlight how disaster readiness can improve resilience with the hope that all communities are better able to recover equitably when the next disaster strikes.” 

“The partnership between National VOAD and Equal Justice Works exemplifies our shared commitment to strengthening communities before, during, and after disasters,” said Amelia Mendizabal, Director of Programs at National VOAD. “By combining legal expertise with coordinated disaster response, we empower survivors with the resources and support they need to rebuild. Disaster Resilience Awareness Month is a crucial time to highlight the importance of preparedness, equity, and collaboration, ensuring no one is left behind when disaster strikes.” 

“Investments in preparedness and partnerships strengthen the response when disaster strikes, enabling faster and more effective mobilization of help for impacted communities,” said Liz Keith, Interim Co-Director at Pro Bono Net. “Pro Bono Net is honored to collaborate with Equal Justice Works and other national partners to spotlight the vital importance of disaster resilience and provide resources for every legal professional to get involved.” 

“SBP is proud to join Equal Justice Works and other national partners to highlight critical issues and solutions for high-risk communities across the US facing an increasing number of extreme weather events,” said Helen Wiley, SBP Disaster Preparedness Program Director. “At SBP, we see firsthand the many challenges, including financial and legal ones, that low-income families face in recovery and believe it is essential to work with all community stakeholders pre-disaster to enable greater readiness and speed recovery when disasters occur. In particular, Disaster Resilience Awareness Month presents a key educational opportunity to learn how both disaster insurance and aid work, as well as how to better mitigate risks.” 

“More than ever, the work of leaving no one behind must be at the center of everything we do,” said Marcie Roth, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at World Institute on Disability. “Communities are stronger and more resilient when everyone is able to protect themselves, their family and their neighborhood. Accessibility and inclusion are what makes this work.” 

As part of the 2025 campaign, Equal Justice Works is working with Stetson University College of Law to bring together legal, academic, and community voices instrumental in disaster law and the resilience movement for the second bi-annual Disaster Resilience Symposium on March 18-19 in Gulfport, Florida. At the symposium, participants will examine the latest trends in disaster academia, systemic issues, and the future of disaster response and preparedness. The event will highlight tools and resources that can be used by advocates to build resiliency in the communities they serve. Equal Justice Works, the ABA Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness, and Stetson University College of Law will cohost the event. 

In addition to the Symposium, Equal Justice Works invites our community to learn more about the important role that disaster lawyers play in recovery efforts to build communities back stronger. See the resources below:  

• The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook, created by CDP, is a collection of strategies, practices, case studies, and toolkits to help communities prepare for and equitably recover from disasters.  

• National VOAD encourages use of their resource hub, where recovery guides, templates, and best practices for cleanup can be found. 

• ProBono.net invites you to view the free resources for disaster survivors and legal professionals at Advocates for Disaster Justice. 

• Access SBP’s collection of free webinars, tools, and resources to enhance disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience at their resource hub. 

• When asked to circulate resources related to disaster resilience, the World Institute on Disability shared the following: Strategies for Equitable Access to Vaccinations and Inclusive Disaster Response and Disability-Inclusive Emergency Preparedness and Community Perspectives. 

• The National Disaster Attorney Guidebook is an eBook from Equal Justice Works and the ABA Young Lawyers Division, created to provide pro bono and legal aid attorneys with an overview of disaster assistance resources and best practices for the advocates of low-income disaster survivors. 

Since 2005, Equal Justice Works has mobilized hundreds of passionate public service lawyers to deliver legal services to disaster-affected communities. To learn more about the organization’s efforts to mobilize public service leaders who are helping individuals and communities navigate disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, tornados, wildfires, extreme heat events, and winter storms, visit here. 

If your organization is interested in joining Equal Justice Works for Disaster Resilience Awareness Month in 2026, please reach out to [email protected]. 

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About Equal Justice Works 

Equal Justice Works is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for lawyers to transform their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. As the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law, Equal Justice Works brings together an extensive network of law students, lawyers, nonprofit legal aid organizations, and supporters to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. 

About the ABA Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness 

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness is dedicated to equipping legal professionals and the public with critical resources to navigate the legal challenges that arise from disasters. 

About the American Red Cross  

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media. 

About Center for Disaster Philanthropy 

CDP mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities’ ability to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. It provides expert advice and educational resources, supports diverse coalitions and manages domestic and international disaster funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. Find out more at disasterphilanthropy.org and LinkedIn. 

About Legal Services Corporation 

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974. For 50 years, LSC has provided financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. The Corporation currently provides funding to 130 independent nonprofit legal aid programs in every state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. 

About National VOAD 

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) is a coalition of nonprofit, foundations, and State/Territory VOAD community organizations that work together to provide disaster relief and recovery across the United States. Founded in 1970, National VOAD brings together members and partners to foster collaboration, coordination, communication, and cooperation—the “4Cs”—to ensure more effective and efficient response efforts. By uniting organizations with diverse expertise, National VOAD helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Learn more at www.nvoad.org. 

About ProBono.net 

Pro Bono Net’s mission is to create scalable and sustainable technology solutions and partnerships that bring free, safe and high-quality legal help to millions of people. Its programs (i) enable individuals to directly access the power of the law; (ii) empower advocates and volunteers to more effectively reach and represent those in need; and (iii) equip legal, social justice and community organizations with tools and resources to grow their impact. Through Advocates for Disaster Justice (https://www.advocatesfordisasterjustice.org), Pro Bono Net and its partners harness the power of shared experience and offer free resources to survivors and legal advocates working to advance equity, rights and resilience in communities impacted by climate-driven and other disasters. 

About SBP 

SBP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities to shrink the time between disaster and recovery by rebuilding homes, increasing resilience, and improving systems to better serve all Americans. Founded in 2006 in response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, to date, SBP has built 6,300 homes in 16 communities in the U.S. and The Bahamas. For more information, please visit SBP’s website. 

About the World Institute on Disability 

The World Institute on Disability (WID) is a registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization that is dedicated to designing, building, and supporting whole community solutions by removing barriers to include people with disabilities. Our mission on a global scale is to continuously advance the rights and opportunities of more than 1.3 billion people with disabilities. Towards creation of a more inclusive global society, WID’s programs focus on three strategic areas that have profound impact: Accessibility and Universal Design; Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Resilience; and Community Inclusion. WID is disrupting exclusion, establishing accessible communities, and elevating the leadership of multiply-marginalized disabled people. For more information about WID, please visit www.wid.org.