Good and Ready - Connect, Care, Prepare

New Zealand Red Cross encourages you to take these simple steps today to be good and ready for future disasters: connect, care, prepare. Download the 2021 Good and Ready Brochure and find out more here.

Thriving communities provide a safe place for people to feel a sense of belonging, to connect and share, and to feel accepted. Here are a few ideas to connect:

• Simply wave or say hi to someone new
• Share a cuppa or some kai with your neighbours
• Organise a street party or neighbourhood event – Neighbours Day Aotearoa is a great excuse!
• Join a community group, attend community events, participate in a community project – community gardens, sharing produce, volunteer projects

Below, we've got a few simple ways you can connect with your community. Have a look at what some members of our VicRed Group at Victoria University say about being part of a group, being connected.

A Good and Ready Buddy is someone who you can count on to check on you if there has been an emergency! Or you can return the favour … a Good & Ready buddy is someone you will check up on if you know the area they live in might have had an emergency. This can be anything from a power outage, a flood, and earthquake or even if they are staying at home in lockdown. 

We know how powerful staying connected to others are during times of crisis or stress. A Good and Ready buddy helps to keep those connections alive, especially when it’s most needed. 

Some examples of  how to Connect, Care and Prepare with your Good and Ready buddy: 

• Check up on them if you see that the area they live in has been affected by an emergency or natural disaster 
• Complete your emergency household plan together with them – and hold each other accountable 
• Pack your grab bags together – or remind them to keep the items within fresh every 6 months
• Participate in the NZ ShakeOut earthquake drill together – in person or online! 

A Good and Ready buddy can be a neighbour, whānau member, friend, or work colleague.

In an emergency, most people are helped first by their neighbours. Here are some things you can do to help care for your community:

• Create an emergency plan with your neighbours
• Participate in Civil Defence’s community emergency planning opportunities
• Check on people who might need special assistance before, during or after an emergency. Help them make a plan and prepare their household
• Join the Red Cross community by volunteering.

Take a look below for a couple of key ways you can connect with your community. Have a look at what our colleague Jamie says about caring for people in your community from diverse backgrounds.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the mental and emotional equivalent of medical first aid. Knowing PFA can help you provide emotional support to someone immediately after a disaster or traumatic event. Learn PFA with us here.

Some of us have had a really tough time during COVID-19. If you are down or feeling alone, often reaching out is the hardest thing to do. 

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 anytime.

Having information and resources can help you and your whānau get through hard times more easily. Here’s what you can do to get prepared:

• Have a plan: Create your household emergency plan using the Civil Defence template
• Know about hazards: Download the Red Cross Hazard App to get local information about emergencies
• Have your stuff ready: Pack/refresh your emergency supplies
• Be ready to help in a medical emergency: Learn first aid through Red Cross and download the Red Cross First Aid App
• Make your home safer and more resilient: Check your insurance, fix and fasten items in your home,back-up documents and photos, etc.

We've listed a couple of ways you might be able to prepare you, your whānau and your community for disaster. Have a look at what Dave from our Emergency Response Unit says about preparing yourself and your whanau.

Everyone's been impacted by COVID-19 in 2020, some more than others. Whatever you do during Good and Ready Week, make sure you follow the government guidelines and stay safe.

We're getting used to some new things, like wearing face coverings and social distancing, but that doesn't mean we can't keep connected as a community.

The team has had a little fun trying out different designs for face coverings as part of getting good and ready for COVID-19. Why don't you give it a go too?

Watch more Good and Ready videos here.

The Good & Ready programme is one of New Zealand Red Cross’ newest, aimed at increasing the level of disaster preparedness in communities throughout Aotearoa. We know that being more prepared in advance of an emergency empowers communities to cope and bounce back better. This programme aims at building a network of community-based volunteers and champions who promote preparedness messages and activities at a local level.