NAMA Vending and Refreshment Trade Show
On April 15, the NAMA Vending and Refreshment Trade Show took place at the McCormick Place in Chicago. Emergency Disaster Services was invited to the closing of the food and beverage trade show to collect donations that vendors leave behind at the close of the event. As vendors break down their exhibits, 31 volunteers, within a limited time frame, collected over 30,000 pounds of product. Donations were brought to the EDS warehouse, sorted, and distributed to Corps who used the donations to directly serve communities throughout the Metropolitan area.
EDS utilizes this event as a training exercise to prepare for an actual disaster. Volunteer response, ability to work in adverse conditions and practice driving emergency vehicles are just some of the ways volunteers prepare for disaster response.
