When a hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster strikes, communication and transportation infrastructure may be cut off or impaired.

In a day – or even in just a few minutes – thousands of lives are turned upside down. Everything that was reliable, and secure is no longer so. Suddenly, there isn’t enough water, food, medicine, blankets, clothing and other urgent-need supplies. And help just can’t get to where they are needed fast enough.

In the case of disaster scenarios where relief was slow in arriving, despair and social instability quickly followed. Just when people needed to pull together the most, the opposite happened.

In contrast, when victims see real help, they have real hope. Their will to endure and even thrive in the face of adversity is strengthened. The benefit of relief efforts is compounded: When victims are stabilized and strengthened, they can in turn be helpful and supportive to their neighbors. It is a powerful ripple effect. In this environment, the most beautiful qualities of humanity can shine through, even while surrounded by the remains of calamity.

In our experience, disaster relief work not only benefits the recipients, but the volunteers who go to serve find their lives affected profoundly as well.

Reboot Charity volunteers have been honored to transport real-life superheroes from all walks of life who brought their tools, skills, and camping gear; they stayed in the disaster area and worked to stabilize homes or temporary shelters. Victims were set up with safe and sanitary shelter until materials and workers could be transported in to complete permanent repairs and reconstruction. Although the work routine was intense and conditions were challenging, every volunteer we brought home had stories to share of new treasured memories.

 We relate these experiences and observations about our work supporting disaster relief so that you might understand why this work has become a perfect fit for our mission.

In reality, it is the Ultimate Reboot: we help to re-start the lives of those whose whole world seems to have come to an end. We hope that hearing a bit of our story will inspire you to join in supporting this most worthy cause.