Local Volunteers Research Articles

Development of a hybrid point-of-care ultrasound curriculum for first year medical students in a rural medical education program: a pilot study

BackgroundThe field of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has advanced in recent decades due to the benefits it holds for medical providers. However, aspiring POCUS practitioners require adequate training. Unfortunately, there remains a paucity of resources to deliver this training, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Despite these barriers, calls for POCUS training in undergraduate medical education are growing, and many medical schools now deliver some form of POCUS education. Our program lacked POCUS training; therefore, we developed and implemented a POCUS curriculum for our first-year medical students.MethodsWe developed a POCUS curriculum for first year medical students in a rural medically underserved region of the United States. To evaluate our course, we measured learning outcomes, self-reported confidence in a variety of POCUS domains, and gathered feedback on the course with a multi-modal approach: an original written pre- and post-test, survey tool, and semi-structured interview protocol, respectively.ResultsStudent (n=24) knowledge of POCUS significantly increased (pre-test average score = 55%, post-test average score = 79%, P<0.0001), and the course was well received based on student survey and interview feedback. In addition, students reported increased confidence toward a variety of knowledge and proficiency domains in POCUS use and their future clinical education and practice.ConclusionsDespite a lack of consensus in POCUS education, existing literature describes many curricular designs across institutions. We leveraged a combination of student initiatives, online resources, remote collaborations, local volunteers, and faculty development to bring POCUS to our institution in a rural and medically underserved region. Moreover, we demonstrate positive learning and experiential outcomes that may translate to improved outcomes in students’ clinical education and practice. Further research is needed to evaluate the psychomotor skills, broader learning outcomes, and clinical performance of students who take part in our POCUS course.

Developing, implementing, and evaluating the visiting Neighbors' program in rural Appalachia: A quality improvement protocol.

Older adults living alone in rural areas frequently experience health declines, social isolation, and limited access to services. To address these challenges, our medical academic university supported a quality improvement project for developing and evaluating the Visiting Neighbors program in two rural Appalachian counties. Our Visiting Neighbors program trained local volunteers to visit and guide rural older adults in healthy activities. These age-appropriate activities (Mingle, Manage, and Move- 3M's) were designed to improve the functional health of older adults. The program includes four in-home visits and four follow-up telephone calls across three months. The purpose of this paper was to describe the 3M's Visiting Neighbors protocol steps guiding the quality improvement procedures relating to program development, implementation, and evaluation. This Visiting Neighbors study used a single-group exploratory quality improvement design. This program was tested using quality improvement standards, including collecting participant questionnaires and visit observations. Older adults (> 65 years) living alone (N = 30) participants were female (79%) with a mean age of 82.96 (SD = 7.87) years. Volunteer visitor participants (N = 10) were older adult females. Two volunteer visitors implemented each visit, guided by the 3M's activities manual. All visits were verified as being consistently delivered (fidelity). Enrollment and retention data found the program was feasible to conduct. The older adult participants' total program helpfulness ratings (1 to 5) were high (M = 51.27, SD = 3.77). All volunteer visitor's program helpfulness ratings were also high (M = 51.78, SD = 3.73). The Visiting Neighbors program consistently engaged older Appalachian adults living alone in the 3M's activities. The feasibility and fidelity of the 3M's home visits were verified. The quality improvement processes included engaging the expert advisory committee and rural county stakeholders to ensure the quality of the program development, implementation, and evaluation.

Melhorando as características reprodutivas e de crescimento em cabras nativas criadas em sistema de pequenas propriedades

ABSTRACT: Goat breeding is an economic activity carried out in the rural areas of the Eastern Mediterranean region of Türkiye. The small ruminants breeding project carried out in extensive farmer conditions was a project which aimed to improve the quality and quantity of meat and milk yields of domestic goat breeds of Anatolia since 2015. The genetic improvement study of indigenous Hair goats was started in 2015 and ended in 2020, using 5985 does and 252 bucks, with the participation of 60 local volunteer farmers in the rural farming system of Eastern Anatolia of Türkiye. At the end of the study, it was found that the birth rate, twinning rate, prolificacy, litter size, and survival rate varied between, 81.88 to 98.18%, 5.26 to 13.54%, 103.00 to 111.00%, 1.11 to 1.27 and 92.67% to 99.06%, by years respectively. As a result of the breeding study, it was determined that the birth weight, weaning weight, and daily body weight gain of the offspring were increased from 2.60 to 3.07 kg, from 8.21 to 10.77 kg, and from 107.74 to 149.15 g, respectively. It was determined that the growth characteristics of kids differed significantly over the years (P &lt; 0.001). As a result of this study, it was determined that production based on local gene resources with improved genetic capacity in rural areas is important for sustainability. Simple recording schemes for the objective assessment of performance traits and planned mating schemes will help enhance animals’ production performances in traditional farming systems.

Branching out: mobilizing community assets to support the mental health and wellbeing of children in primary schools.

Mobilizing existing creative, cultural and community assets is seen as a crucial pathway to improving public health. Schools have been identified as key institutional community assets and arts-in-nature practice has been shown to promote children's mental health. The 'Branching Out' research investigated how an established arts-in-nature practice called 'Artscaping' could be scaled up through the mobilization of community assets including school staff and local volunteers to reach more children in primary schools. The Branching Out model was piloted in six primary schools across Cambridgeshire with 'Community Artscapers' delivering 1.5-h Artscaping sessions with children outdoors for 8 weeks. Interviews were conducted with 11 Community Artscapers (six school staff and five volunteers) and four school leaders reflecting on their experiences of the Branching Out model and the data was subject to a reflexive thematic analysis. The findings presented here discuss themes relating to mobilizing community assets, including framing the opportunity, recruiting and sustaining volunteers, training and supporting Community Artscapers, and tensions in roles and responsibilities. They also cover impacts for the children, including mental health provision, freedom in creativity and being outside, personal development, emotional impacts, and social connection, as well as impacts for the Community Artscapers, including making a difference, emotional wellbeing, personal and professional development, and connection and community. These findings are considered in terms of their alignment with public health policy drivers and the potential for the Branching Out model to become replicable and self-sustaining across schools to promote children's mental health as a public health intervention.

Participatory communication as the key to successful disaster management in Pangandaran district

Background: Pangandaran, situated within the province of West Java, is considered a region susceptible to natural disasters, leading to significant material damages and, unfortunately, loss of human life. This particular calamity has attracted the attention of various stakeholders, encompassing the local government, affiliated organizations, social communities, volunteers, and numerous others. The circumstances mentioned above have led to the development of participatory communication initiatives to promote cooperation in disaster management. Purpose: This study aims to ascertain the factors contributing to heteroglossia, discourse, polyphony, and collaboration among communities and volunteers. Methods: The research method utilized in this study is a descriptive study, incorporating a range of data collection techniques, including in-depth interviews, observation, and literature analysis. Furthermore, to conduct comprehensive data analysis, this study involves data reduction, data display, conclusion derivation, and verification. Moreover, the technique employed for data source identification involves systematically classifying stakeholders, including individuals affiliated with institutions and community members/volunteers who actively participate in collaborative efforts to address disaster-related issues in the Pangandaran Regency. Additionally, the study involved a cohort of five key informants deliberately chosen to represent the community under the study. Results: The study results indicate that, despite differences in tasks, responsibilities, roles, and level of expertise within the community or volunteers, they are willing to exchange knowledge, drawing on their viewpoints openly. Furthermore, the dialogue process that unfolds among the community/volunteers takes the form of a democratic discussion to attain consensus in their respective roles. Conclusion: Communities/volunteers have established collaborative efforts grounded in their understanding, awareness and commitment to assisting individuals affected by adverse circumstances. Moreover, shared norms and beliefs have guided their robust, extensive relationships and networks.

Community-based COVID vaccination center ready for the switch towards a broad community-based prevention center: In Jan'21 the Flemish Region started the COVID vaccination in a public health mode, at 60 primary health care units.

Framework: Each local “unit of care” has an average population of 100.000 people and is managed by local caregivers. Within two months (Jan-Feb'21), 80 vaccination centers were set up and launched. A central strategic center and logistic/financial support were created. A local team of municipal representatives and caregivers was composed. It resulted in a management team which launched the operational vaccination sessions.&#x0D; All citizens were invited by email, letter or SMS. An individual appointment was booked in the vaccination center matching the zip code of the citizen’s residence. Specific software enabled vaccination agenda management and its registration in Flanders’ central vaccination database.&#x0D; The initial goal was to cover at least 70% of the target population, but in the primary care unit “Voorkempen”, a coverage of 95,45% was reached.&#x0D; Vaccination center “Voorkempen” ‘s results: The health unit “Voorkempen” is a defined area, situated in the province of Antwerp and is composed of 6 municipalities which give home to 111.102 inhabitants.&#x0D; The campaign consisted of four periods :&#x0D; - Feb-Sep'21 : basic vaccination (97.763 citizens)&#x0D; - Oct'21-Feb'22 : 1st booster campaign for all 12+ ( 93.316 citizens).&#x0D; - May-June'22: extra booster exclusively for 80+ (7.153 citizens)&#x0D; - Sept-Oct'22 : 2nd booster for all 18+, (90.473 citizens)&#x0D; Lessons learned: &#x0D; 1.Flexible management by a limited number of managers (4) with daily meetings and quick decision making is essential and covers :&#x0D; A.The infrastructure in time and space.&#x0D; B.The IT environment including call center, vaccination agenda and HR management.&#x0D; C.Vaccination sessions planning : stock control and ordering, session planning and unfolding of a mobile team.&#x0D; D.HR management : staff recruitment &amp; selection, training, coaching, contracting, team composition, insurance, payroll.&#x0D; E.Operational vaccination sessions: reception and flow inside the vaccination center, problem solving, administrative check-in, vaccination, registration, surveillance.&#x0D; F.Vaccination registration : group registration in Vaccinnet as a base for COVID certification&#x0D; 2.The support of the municipalities was crucial : accountancy, logistic support, mass communication.&#x0D; 3.The primary healthcare providers’ trust and cooperation was established by constant communication, information and feedback.&#x0D; 4.The mobilization of local volunteers was overwhelming - it became a flexible group coping with unforeseen circumstances and unexpected events.&#x0D; 5.Population management: the data collection concerns local infection rates, hospitalizations and vaccination rates. Its analysis allowed quick reactions.&#x0D; Future: The broad experiences of the central management, people management and population management in this vaccination center can be used to improve preventive actions and early detection programs in different domains:&#x0D; -Infectious diseases including influenza: testing and vaccinations in a similar center as the COVID vaccination center, - new vaccines will be on the market soon.&#x0D; -Chronic diseases: early risk detection and risk management: lifestyle, healthy diet, exercising,…&#x0D; -Improvement of oncological screening programs (breast cancer, cervix cancer and colorectal cancer).&#x0D; -Geriatric stratification and early support&#x0D; -Mental health&#x0D; For the permanent switch to a local “prevention center”, political decisions, a legal framework and structural support is absolutely necessary.&#x0D;

CONDUCTING COMMUNITY-BASED GERONTOLOGY PROJECTS IN UNDERGRADUATE CLASSROOMS: CAPSTONE CASE STUDIES

Abstract Collaborations between university-level students and community-based organizations have long shown to be mutually beneficial in that they can address pressing community needs, advance the mission of the organization, and enhance the learning of students. In this presentation, I describe project collaborations between a non-profit volunteer caregiving organization based in Ventura County (“Caregivers”) and Health Science undergraduate students (N = 76) enrolled in Capstone courses at California State University Channel Islands between 2022-2023. Projects were designed utilizing a community-based approach wherein the community partner (“Caregivers”) played an active and central role in determining project goals and outcomes. Four projects, each addressing and/or serving a specific need, were completed by different Capstone sections: (1) the creation of an online governance training program to educate high school and university students on the basics of leadership in nonprofits which serve older adults; (2) the creation of a series of videos to educate on and advocate for volunteer caregiving; (3) the analysis of quantitative and qualitative survey data to evaluate the experiences and satisfaction levels of local volunteer caregivers and care recipients; and (4) the creation of a toolkit to be used by volunteer caregiving organizations implementing community meal delivery programs for older adults. In this presentation, I detail each project along with their major successes and challenges as assessed through personal observation, feedback provided by the community partner, and student reflections. I conclude with discussing best practices in implementing community-based projects in undergraduate settings and describe the value of such projects across all stakeholders.

Atmospheric and surface observations during the Saint John River Experiment on Cold Season Storms (SAJESS)

Abstract. The amount and the phase of cold-season precipitation accumulating in the upper Saint John River (SJR) basin are critical factors in determining spring runoff, ice jams, and flooding. To study the impact of winter and spring storms on the snowpack in the upper SJR basin, the Saint John River Experiment on Cold Season Storms (SAJESS) was conducted during winter–spring 2020–2021. Here, we provide an overview of the SAJESS study area, field campaign, and data collected. The upper SJR basin represents 41 % of the entire SJR watershed and encompasses parts of the US state of Maine and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. In early December 2020, meteorological instruments were co-located with an Environment and Climate Change Canada station near Edmundston, New Brunswick. This included a separate weather station for measuring standard meteorological variables, an optical disdrometer, and a micro rain radar. This instrumentation was augmented during an intensive observation period that also included upper-air soundings, surface weather observations, a multi-angle snowflake camera, and macrophotography of solid hydrometeors throughout March and April 2021. During the study, the region experienced a lower-than-average snowpack that peaked at ∼ 65 cm, with a total of 287 mm of precipitation (liquid-equivalent) falling between December 2020 and April 2021, a 21 % lower amount of precipitation than the climatological normal. Observers were present for 13 storms during which they conducted 183 h of precipitation observations and took more than 4000 images of hydrometeors. The inclusion of local volunteers and schools provided an additional 1700 measurements of precipitation amounts across the area. The resulting datasets are publicly available from the Federated Research Data Repository at https://doi.org/10.20383/103.0591 (Thompson et al., 2023). We also include a synopsis of the data management plan and a brief assessment of the rewards and challenges of conducting the field campaign and utilizing community volunteers for citizen science.

Cancer patients’ needs for volunteer services during Covid-19: a mixed-method exploratory study

IntroductionTo date, there are no known studies that have investigated the new need for volunteer services among cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it is essential for volunteer associations to heighten such knowledge to best guide their offer in this challenging period.AimThe present study aims to provide a mapping of the cancer patients’ needs for volunteer services followed at Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan (Italy) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since there are no specific questionnaires for this purpose, we created an ad hoc tool for which we report the preliminary result.MethodWe used a mixed-method multiphase approach. Phase I: in April-May 2020 40 ad hoc paper questionnaires were distributed at the entrance of the aforementioned hospital, with the aim of investigating patients’ needs through two open-ended questions then analyzed through thematic analysis. Phase II: the contents that emerged from Phase I were transformed into items and submitted to the judgment of a small group of “peers” (patients) and “experts” (professionals) in November-December 2020 to evaluate their comprehensiveness, representativeness and intrusiveness. Phase III: in January-February 2021 paper questionnaires, containing the items reviewed in Phase II, were distributed within the hospital to a representative sample of cancer patients. We applied descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Cronbach’s Alpha.Results32 patients completed Phase I, 3 “peers” and 9 “experts” participated in Phase II, 214 patients completed the questionnaire in Phase III. EFA highlights five kinds of needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, in order of priority: (1) need to be supported at the hospital; (2) need for emotional support; (3) need for daily errands; (4) need for practical support to family members; (5) need to share free time. Preliminary results on the tool are encouraging, although further studies are needed. These results will allow local volunteer associations to adapt their services during the pandemic.

Retaining public health volunteers beyond COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in people's volunteering behaviours; participation has increased in informal volunteering (giving unpaid help to those who are not a relative) while decreasing in formal volunteering (unpaid help to groups or clubs). There is an interest from stakeholders who have experienced increased participation in maintaining the positive patterns of volunteering, aligning with National Health Service (NHS) objectives and realising benefits in a wider public health context. This research uses a local COVID-19 public health volunteering programme case study to explore the volunteer's journey and perspective using volunteers' reported experiences to consider the potential for volunteer retention and role expansion into other public health issues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment was undertaken by Birmingham City Council Public Health Team via the COVID-19 Community Champions programme mailing list. Semi-structured focus group discussions, one-to-one interviews and email interviews were conducted with volunteers. Data were analysed through directed thematic analysis using an iteratively developed coding frame. Data were collected from three focus group discussions, four interviews, and one email interview involving a total of 16 participants. Six themes were identified: volunteer motivations and expectations; volunteer management; programme organisation; feeling valued; continued need for role, and interest in new responsibilities. Our findings indicate that the factors which are conducive to volunteer recruitment, retention and re-purposing were: maintaining the original terms of engaging with the volunteering opportunity (including retaining the original brief and remit), adjusting these through consultative processes with an emphasis on seeking permission from the volunteers already involved and ensuring a reliable and consistent management and support structure. While some of the learning is specific to the local volunteer programme in question and the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lessons that can be generalised to other scenarios and settings.

Myocardial inflammation in Fabry disease: correlations between myocardial histology, T2 mapping, and troponin

Abstract Background Myocardial inflammation likely plays a key role in cardiac Fabry disease (FD), supported by the frequent observation using cardiac MRI (CMR) of high T2 mapping values, mainly in areas of late gadolinium enhancement, LGE), typically representing oedema, and increased troponin (myocardial injury). Purpose To characterize inflammation in FD cardiomyopathy by comparing myocardial histology, T2 mapping and troponin. Methods Fifteen FD patients (67% females; 51 years old, range 39-62), undergoing 3 tests: biopsy (either RV endomyocardial biopsy, n=10, or myectomy, n=5); CMR (1.5T: cines, LGE, native T1/T2 mapping quantified in the sampling area); and troponin assessment (high sensitivity TnI). Mapping values were compared to local healthy volunteers. Left ventricle hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as either MWT ≥12mm or indexed LV mass above sex specific reference ranges. Tissue was stained using Haematoxylin-Eosin and Azan Mallory trichrome. Inflammatory cell staining used CD68 and CD3 antibodies. An abnormal inflammatory infiltrate was defined according to ESC criteria as ≥14 leukocytes/mm2 (up to 4monocytes/mm2, CD3+T-lymphocytes&amp;gt;7cells/mm2) and its distribution classified as focal (&amp;lt;30% of the specimen), multifocal (30-60%), diffuse (&amp;gt;60%). Results Median LV ejection fraction was 63% (58-67); indexed end diastolic volume 83ml/m2 (68-91). Seven patients had LVH. 8 patients had low native T1 and 6 had infero-lateral LGE. Median septal T2 value was 50ms (47-52) with 3 (all females) above local upper limit value (ULV). TnI was increased in 6 pts (40%; median value 54ng/L [38-128]). Histology showed mild inflammatory infiltrates in 8 pts (46%), none diffuse (focal 4, multifocal 4). Seven were mixed - T lymphocytes and macrophages, one was exclusively macrophages. Inflammatory foci were quiescent (n=5), or associated to myocytes injury not typical of ischemic damage and fibrosis (n=3). None had histologically visible myocardial oedema. Patients with inflammatory infiltrates had higher T2 values (52ms [50-54] vs 47ms [46-51]; p=0.043) but the same troponin (18ng/L [3-82] vs 14ms [3-24], p=0.215) (figure 1). The 3 patients with high T2 all had inflammatory cells associated to histologic myocyte injury (figure 2). Conclusion For the first time we correlate histology with T2 and myocardial injury in FD. In this small study, mild myocardial macrophage/lymphocyte infiltrates are common in FD and are associated to higher T2 values. Abnormal T2 septal elevation is less common (it is known common in the basal inferolateral wall however) and when present, infiltration with histological myocyte damage is found.

Engaging institutions in crowdsourcing close-range photogrammetry models of urban cultural heritage

PurposeThe need to digitise is an awareness that is shared across our community globally, and yet the probability of the intersection between resources, expertise and institutions are not as prospective. A strategic view towards the long-term goal of cultivating and digitally upskilling the younger generation, building a community and creating awareness with digital activities that can be beneficial for cultural heritage is necessary.Design/methodology/approachThe work involves distributing tasks between stakeholders and local volunteers. It uses close-range photogrammetry for reconstructing the entire heritage site in 3D, and outlines achievable digitisation activities in the crowdsourced, close-range photogrammetry of a 19th century Cheah Kongsi clan temple located in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Penang, Malaysia.FindingsThe research explores whether loosely distributing photogrammetry work that partially simulates an unorganised crowdsourcing activity can generate complete models of a site that meets the criteria set by the needs of the clan temple. The data acquired were able to provide a complete visual record of the site, but the 3D models that was generated through the distributed task revealed gaps that needed further measurements.Practical implicationsKey lessons learned in this activity is transferable. Furthermore, the involvement of volunteers can also raise awareness of ownership, identity and care for local cultural heritage.Social implicationsKey lessons learned in this activity is transferable. Furthermore, the involvement of volunteers can also raise awareness of identity, ownership, cultural understanding, and care for local cultural heritage.Originality/valueThe value of semi-formal activities indicated that set goals can be achieved through crowdsourcing and that the new generation can be taught both to care for their heritage, and that the transfer of digital skills is made possible through such activities. The mass crowdsourcing activity is the first of its kind that attempts to completely digitise a cultural heritage site in 3D via distributed activities.

Docents as transformative educators of travelers

While transformative travel research mainly focuses on visitors' perspectives, those of local volunteers who guide these visitor experiences, such as museum docents, are left unexplored. This gap is worth investigating, considering that meaningful social interactions are identified as one of the main triggers of travelers' transformative experiences. Building on the transformative learning theory, we integrate the concept of emotional intelligence to examine how docents perceive their role as transformative educators to travelers. We apply a qualitative multi-method approach that combines photo elicitations and personal interviews with 31 museum docents. The findings suggest that docents use emotional intelligence to navigate the disorienting dilemma, guide travelers through self-reflection and critical assessment, and cultivate their commitment to education.

Rural Zambian Oral Health Transition: A Long-Term Retrospective Examination of an Outreach Program's Progress and Impact.

This study aimed to (a) describe an annual prevention-focused, community-based oral health outreach program in rural Zambia, (b) assess its oral health outcomes using demographic and oral health variables, and c) identify milestones resulting from program activities. A retrospective analysis of demographic and oral health data from a single site between 2007-2014 and 2018-2019 was conducted. Demographic variables included sex and age, while clinical outcomes encompassed pain, untreated caries, and treatment urgency. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed, adjusting for sex and age categories. Information on community development was obtained from the Ministry of Health and local community representatives. Data from 5,791 subjects were analyzed. The prevalence of pain, untreated caries, and highest treatment urgency category decreased consistently across year categories. Both bivariate and multivariable analyses showed statistically significant differences in clinical outcomes between year categories (p < 0.001). In addition, the percentage of male participants and younger age categories increased during the study period. Key program milestones included the installation of two boreholes for clean water, the development of a local community oral health volunteer program, the establishment of an educational pipeline by the Dental Training School for residents, and the construction of a maternal/oral health center with district and ministry oversight. The observed decrease in treatment urgency scores, presence of pain, and untreated caries are consistent with the prevention-seeking behavior of program participants. The increasing participation and changing demographic patterns over time suggest a growing demand for oral health services among males and younger individuals. The positive oral health outcomes and development of a maternal child/oral health facility exemplify a program design aligned with community needs and appropriate care delivery.

A whole-of-community approach: local community responses to refugee settlement–integration in rural Australia

ABSTRACT Humanitarian migrants are moving to rural areas in Australia in increasing numbers, where it is often local communities who take responsibility for their settlement–integration. Current models acknowledge that settlement–integration is a two-way process between humanitarian migrants and the rural community but remain overly focused on the actions of humanitarian migrants while neglecting the conditions of rural communities. This article discusses the case study of a rural Australian town where humanitarian migrants, Hazaras from Afghanistan, have settled over the past decade. We draw on Jenny Phillimore’s ‘Five domains of opportunity structures’ model of settlement-integration – locality, discourse, relations, structure and initiatives and support – to explore how local government, the mayor and volunteer refugee/migrant support groups facilitate a welcoming community. The case study provides evidence for Phillimore’s ‘opportunity structures’ as effective conditions for positive humanitarian migrant settlement–integration in a rural context. Through the lens of Phillimore’s opportunity structures, we operationalise a Whole-of-Community concept in the context of rural humanitarian settlement–integration.

Building a community of resilience and response—development of disaster response and training programmes

The increasing impact of catastrophic disasters has inspired a strong network of cooperative disaster resiliency programmes focussing on protection and response for heritage collections and sites around the world. A dedicated community of professionals has developed successful partnership organisations that form a collaboration of institutions, first responders, local community groups and volunteers. At the core in the United States is a consortium of governmental and private organisations. Advocating for and safeguarding cultural heritage against risks draws on conventions, policy frameworks and guidance, becoming an imperative part of effective collection and site management. This article outlines the history, missions, interrelationship and expanded programming of this resolute, primarily volunteer community. The evolution of strategic disaster resilience in North America is non-linear, as are the histories of the organisations and individuals who have contributed to the nascent specialty. Key people and agencies are dedicated to protecting cultural assets and progressively improving and professionalising disaster resilience and recovery. The strategic, physical and psychological needs of disaster-affected communities are now standard management protocols for cultural heritage collections. Tangible documentation of these changes and interconnections are spread between professional repositories and personal archives, with minimal finding aids and dependence on individual memories. This information is gathered, regularly shared and updated as part of experiential training but seldom published in historical or scholarly articles. This article is intended to bridge the gap between a literature review and a record of experiences that have moved the profession of cultural heritage responder and their support organisations forward in time.

Empowering local response and community-based disaster mitigation through legislative policies: Lessons from the Kerala floods of 2018-19.

The present paper draws on a series of qualitative studies exploring civic response and community resilience post the 2018-19 floods in Kerala, India. Data were triangulated from multiple sources and -perspectives-community leaders and key informants, rescue and relief volunteers, and survivors. This viewpoint paper aims to highlight the critical role of local volunteerism in disaster mitigation and preparedness, the cost of gaps in emboldening community response, and to suggest actionable means of maximizing civilian potential through legislative policies. The local populace are the first responders at disaster sites and play a vital role in disaster mitigation. Knowledge about local geography, community, and readily accessible resources enables community members to respond efficiently, unlike state deployed disaster task forces who need to be scaffolded into these sites. Liaisons between the state and civilian responders are necessary for informed and time-e-fficient response. Insights gleaned from interviews with the participants offer several suggestions for streamlining administrative channels and structural reforms in governance. Community response can be emboldened by adopting policies that formalize civilian participation in the state's disaster mitigation systems. Decentralization of authority to local self-governance bodies and acknowledgment of local expertise is key to fostering disaster resilient communities. This paper argues that empowering local stakeholders through legislative reforms can bridge existing gaps between community-action focused research recommendations and policy in practice. It provides a framework and actionable measures toward actualizing the call for society-inclusive disaster risk reduction practices.

‘We didn’t want it to be a touch-and-go thing': exploring shifts across short-term youth voluntourism outputs and long-term outcomes and impact

ABSTRACT Short-term volunteer outputs of youth voluntourism have been documented, yet more recent studies have examined longer-term youth voluntourism outcomes and impact and voluntourism’s transformative features. However, research gaps exist. Less is known about how individual volunteers may be personally shaped by past voluntourism experiences in the long-term – including on hindsight – shifts across short-term outputs to long-term outcomes, and programme features influencing different outputs and outcomes. In an exploratory manner, retrospective, in-depth interview data from diverse Singaporean volunteers who have participated in a range of one-off, recurring, or long-term voluntourism programmes has been used. Findings indicated that whether respondents transitioned from short-term outputs to longer-term voluntourism outcomes was contingent upon reflection depth and continued participation in local volunteerism or overseas voluntourism. Short-term outputs centred on volunteers included achieving personal and national objectives and possibly developing some self-awareness, while long-term outcomes focused on host communities included problematisation of volunteerism and evaluations of sustainability. Long-term impact was further observed when both volunteerism and voluntourism were sustained. Consequently, this study has implications for voluntourism programme evaluation and design to improve future youth outcomes and impact.

Towards Cultural Adequacy of Experience-Based Design: A Qualitative Evaluation of Community-Integrated Intermediary Care to Enhance the Family-Based Long-Term Care for Thai Older Adults.

In this qualitative study, we provided an in-depth understanding of how Community-Integrated Intermediary Care (CIIC), a new service model for family-based long-term care (LTC), was perceived by its users. The CIIC, established in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, consisted of three main interventions: (1) A temporary respite care center; (2) A family-centered care capacity building; (3) Functional training delivered as community group exercise and home exercise to improve healthy ageing for independent older adults. Ten pairs of dependent Thai older adults, their primary family caregivers, and ten village health volunteers were recruited using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected via semistructured in-depth interviews. A thematic descriptive qualitative analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that CIIC helped reduce the burden of family caregivers by providing respite, relief, and care coordination. The experiences of the CIIC users indicated possibilities for service redesign, development, and delivery strategies to better meet the LTC needs of older adults and family caregivers. Following the local stakeholders' commitment and local community health volunteers' network, a well-integrated formal and informal care CIIC model can be implied as an effective and sustainable ageing care service model in Thailand and other Asian countries in the future.

European Solidarity Corps Projects Responding to COVID-19: Implications for Future Crises

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in an unprecedented way, affecting various areas of the economy and society, including nonprofits and volunteering. However, nonprofits and volunteering did not just face challenges due to the pandemic; they also played a role in dealing with it. This article focuses on the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), an EU initiative that promotes solidarity through volunteering in countries worldwide. There was a content analysis of all the ESC projects with pandemic-relevant keywords. Though the ESC requests for proposals in the first year of the pandemic did not address the pandemic, about 8% of projects explicitly named the pandemic as either a main or secondary reason for the projects. The ESC projects represent a way to relatively flexibly allocate public funding for local and international volunteer projects dealing with various humanitarian crises, such as COVID-19 or the war in Ukraine.