When disaster strikes, communities need resources quickly. Help us be ready before the call comes in.
The Windy City ToolBank is home to a Midwest hub for ToolBank Disaster Services, providing tools and equipment to organizations conducting disaster response, cleanup, and recovery work.
We're building a team of volunteers who can help keep our disaster equipment organized, maintained, inventoried, and ready to deploy. Volunteers may also have opportunities to help us quickly prepare and load equipment when a disaster response is activated.
This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in disaster response, logistics, tools, warehousing, building, or simply helping communities be better prepared.
Help Us Stay Ready
Regular disaster-readiness projects may include:
- Conducting monthly inventory of disaster tools and equipment
- Organizing trailers and disaster storage areas
- Inspecting equipment to make sure it is deployment-ready
- Cleaning and maintaining tools and equipment
- Checking tools for missing or damaged components
- Labeling and documenting disaster inventory
- Building or modifying storage racks and organization systems
- Preparing disaster cleanup buckets and response supplies
- Preparing tools and supplies so they can be mobilized quickly
Have Tool or Repair Skills? Great! Don't? That's Okay Too.
No repair, construction, or tool experience is required.
There is plenty of work that doesn't require specialized skills, and we'll show you what you need to know.
Volunteers who do have relevant experience may also help with:
- Tool maintenance and repair
- Sharpening blades and hand tools
- Basic equipment maintenance
- Building and repairing storage racks
- Creating custom storage and organization solutions
- Troubleshooting equipment
- Other skilled projects that help keep our disaster inventory ready to deploy
Experience with carpentry, mechanical repair, sharpening, fabrication, small engines, equipment maintenance, or tools is helpful but absolutely not required.
When Disaster Strikes
This opportunity also serves as our on-call volunteer pool for disaster activations.
When ToolBank Disaster Services receives a request for assistance, we may need additional hands on short notice to:
- Pull tools and equipment for disaster orders
- Pack and organize response orders
- Stage equipment for deployment
- Pack and organize trailers
- Load trailers and vehicles
- Secure equipment for transportation
- Prepare cleanup buckets and supplies
- Help us get equipment out the door and on its way to affected communities
Joining the team does not mean you're required to be available every time a disaster happens. We'll contact volunteers when additional help is needed, and you can jump in when your availability allows.
This opportunity primarily supports disaster operations at the Windy City ToolBank. Travel or deployment into disaster-affected communities is not required.
