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photo via flickr istorija
We are constantly being reminded by events both near and far that disasters can happen suddenly, and when they do, they can have a huge impact on your family. This is why we urge preparedness, but also want to make easy on you, by suggesting you do just one thing a month.
At United Way, we use Do1Thing as our guide because it’s straightforward and easy so that “by the time a year has passed, you will have taken big steps towards preparing yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies and disasters.
This month’s one thing is food.
Make a plan to purchase and store a dedicated three day emergency food supply for your household. At the very least, ensure that in addition to your daily needs, you have some extra food stored in case of emergency or disaster. When shopping, keep in mind the foods that you and your family enjoy and be sure to include comfort foods along with high energy items like nuts and protein bars. Also don’t forget to include your pets when making your food storage and supply plans.
An emergency food supply doesn’t have to be tucked away in a safe location, ready for disaster to strike (although it can be). It can be sitting on the shelves of your cupboards every day, being used and replenished each time you go shopping.
The key to a good food storage plan is to buy ahead. By replacing items before you run out, or buying an extra item each time you shop (especially when items go on sale), you make sure that your family will have what they need when disaster strikes.
At Do1Thing, they included a helpful acronym, BUS, to guide you in this process. BUS stands for:
- Balanced diet – try to keep a mix of foods in your kit that are a part of your normal balanced diet.
- Usability - ensure you have items that can be used in a disaster like dried cereal and canned items – basically foods that do not need to be refrigerated or cooked, and that also don’t need a lot of added water to work.
- Shelf Life- Whether you are storing a dedicated emergency food supply, or using a food storage plan, pay attention to shelf-life when purchasing and using food. Use and replace foods before the expiration date.
The key to being able to survive a disaster is being prepared. By doing one thing every month, it can be easy to accomplish this without too much effort.
(Photo via flickr user istorija)
