The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) announced today that Direct Relief is joining the network as the first Associate Member.

VOAD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership-based organization that serves as a forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle – preparation, response, and recovery – to help disaster survivors and their communities.

“This recognition by our national Board of Directors demonstrates the good work Direct Relief already performs and how the inclusion of their core competencies will enrich the work of the entire collaborative’s efforts to better serve the nation,” said the National VOAD President and CEO, Daniel L. Stoecker.

There are 112 total Members of National VOAD — including 56 state/territory Members and 56 national Member organizations – which represent a diverse group of emergency service organizations who provide a wide range of skills in service to American communities before and after manmade or natural disasters.

In the past, Direct Relief has worked extensively with VOAD members on many different occasions in large-scale events, providing prescription medications and medical essentials to trained responders treating people affected by emergency events.

The new Associate membership category (approved in June 2013) consists of nonprofit organizations with a national scope and clearly defined functions, programs, and/or direct services with a focus on one or more phases of the disaster continuum.

According to VOAD, these organizations provide more “whole-community” engagement because of specialized disaster cycle knowledge and competencies, or because they service or advocate for constituencies not yet adequately represented within the National VOAD Movement.

Direct Relief’s Director of U.S. Programs, Damon Taugher said, “We are pleased to bring to and share with the community Direct Relief’s unique credential as the only nonprofit accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as a Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) and our ability to distribute prescription medications in all 50 U.S. states.”