West Virginia University is partnering with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led, global disaster response organization, to assist with flood relief efforts in West Virginia after storms swept through the state on June 23rd, leaving devastation in its wake. Approximately 60 WVU students and faculty will be joining the organization in Nicholas County on Wednesday, July 13, to provide muck out and debris removal services and other relief efforts at no cost to the affected community.
Team Rubicon has been on the ground since June 27th, conducting damage assessments, chainsaw operations, debris removal, and volunteer management operations in coordination with local authorities. West Virginia University
“We’re happy to have West Virginia University students from Morgantown come down and partner with us to serve Nicholas County. I look forward to working with them and having more volunteers from WVU come out,” said Public Information Officer and Army Reservist, Albert Yao.
Since its inception following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has grown from eight to nearly 35,000 volunteers and has responded to more than 120 disasters, including the Fort McMurray wildfire in Canada, the Nepal earthquakes, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and Hurricane Sandy.
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Beyond disaster relief, Team Rubicon helps veterans find a renewed sense of purpose—vital as they return to civilian life after more than a decade of war. The disaster relief organization offers veterans the opportunity to continue their service by helping those affected by disasters while regaining a sense of purpose, community and identity, and empowering those affected by disasters. For more about Team Rubicon, visit www.teamrubiconusa.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
