FEMA Corps is back in Maine to continue its emergency preparedness work with the American Red Cross. 

After a brief assignment in Missouri, the members of the FEMA Corps Summit 4 team returned to Portland on July 29. They plunged back into their work of making families across the state safer. 

“We’re really excited to be back in Maine. We got a lot of traction during our first couple of months here and there’s a lot to build on,” said Sean McAleer, the team’s leader. “We can’t wait to teach more kids about what they can do to prepare for emergencies.”

The team is based in Vicksburg, Miss., but its members hail from all over the country. In addition to McAleer, who is from Atlanta, the team is made up of Andrew Allen of Fayetteville, Ark., Erin Beezley of St. Louis, Daniel Hussey of Annapolis, Md., Tiara Hyche of Chicago and Matthew Purvis of Lake Worth, Fla.

They are serving 10-month terms, with the option to work for a second year on the Pillowcase Project. The program, sponsored by Disney, increases children’s awareness of emergencies and how to prepare for them.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Summit 4 back with us in Maine,” said Alyson Finn, the Red Cross disaster program manager training and supervising the team. “I can’t say enough about their work ethic, dedication and enthusiasm. Their contributions are making a real difference for hundreds of kids and their families in Maine.”

The team is teaching children about the best ways to stay safe and is helping them create emergency supply kits. They encourage the children to create home fire escape plans and practice fire drills with their families. 

Over the next couple of months, Summit 4 will build capacity and sustainability within the Pillowcase Project throughout Maine. 

The Summit 4 team arrived in Maine in early April and has already educated 508 students. They have a goal of educating an additional 750.