Volunteer Louisiana invites residents of Iberia Parish to take part in a community preparedness workshop on Thursday, June 8, at Westgate High School.

The workshop was originally set to take place at the Sliman Theater, but was moved due to renovation work. 

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the workshop lasting two hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Registration is required and is available online.

During the workshop, residents will participate in disaster preparedness training and instruction, walking away with a game plan for their families this hurricane season.

They will also have the opportunity to connect with their local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) – Iberia Parish CERT. This team is a group of volunteers serving as part of the Iberia Parish Emergency Response and Operations Support System to open and operate shelters during disasters. The Iberia Parish CERT team also assists with feeding operations and points of distribution sites.

Volunteer Louisiana works with CERT teams across the state to train citizens in disaster preparedness.

There is no cost to the participants for these events. Additionally, the workshop includes training materials and refreshments for all participants. Participants may also sign-up as CERT volunteers to help their neighbors during blue-sky events and post-disaster. Information on upcoming CERT trainings is available on the Volunteer Louisiana CERT Training webpage.

Volunteer Louisiana, located in the Office of Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, manages 17 AmeriCorps State programs, promotes volunteerism, and coordinates spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers in times of disaster. It is supported by grants from the federal agency, AmeriCorps.

To learn more about the AmeriCorps State programs or for more information on Volunteer Louisiana, visit VolunteerLouisiana.gov.