Resilience Teams
What is a “Resilience Team?”
Resilience Teams are local, volunteer-based nodes of CROs that receive organizational, structural, and financial support from CROs to build resilience and “community sufficiency” in their towns and regions. CROs provides resources to increase capacity that accelerates action in communities while increasing social cohesion. Strengthening communities can range from dessert potlucks to hazard mitigation!
Teams have diverse community participation to bridge gaps - team members often include a mix of Select Board members, conservation and planning commissioners, food co-ops, emergency responders, town managers, farmers, watershed groups, foresters - and many other engaged citizens who care about their communities. They are the local problem-solvers!
How are Resilience Teams formed? What are the requirements? It’s simple!
- Two or more people in a town decide they want to form a team.
- They communicate the formation of their team to the local government to open channels for communication and to reduce unnecessary overlapping work. “Approval” is not the goal; coordination is!
- Teams work with CROs to develop local projects that will meet needs and build resilience.
- This may include, but is not limited to, organizing the Community Resilience Assessment, resilience skills-building workshops, and project development and implementation. Plans and objectives often coincide with work already being done by team members and goals of municipal governments.
- Team members have quarterly calls and attend annual gatherings to share experiences, learn about other initiatives, and build connections.
What are some Resilience Team projects?
- Annual & monthly resilience skills-building workshops
- Participated in CROs resilience assessment and project planning workshops
- Planted riparian buffers
- Created a community center
- Organized community celebrations, neighborhood captain programs, Tropical Storm Irene anniversary events, and emergency exercises
- Implemented Hazard Mitigation Plans
- Protected floodplains & watersheds
- Created emergency shelters
- Assisted with FEMA buyouts
- Free community gardens
- Many more!