ALAN helps with Hurricane Irene relief

ALAN helps with Hurricane Irene relief    In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene on the U.S. East Coast, the American Logistics Aid Network is working with relief agency partners to identify crucial needs and communicate them with the supply chain services industry.
   'Damage assessments are still being completed, and needs evolve as the situation changes,' said Jock Menzies, president of ALAN, a non-profit organization that engages the supply chain community in support of humanitarian relief efforts. 'We are working with states and non-profits to locate warehouse space, transportation, material handling equipment, and logistics expertise to meet needs identified to date.'
   ALAN has already helped to coordinate a number of relief efforts, including:
   ' Transporting ready-to-eat meals to Turks and Caicos.
   ' Coordinating office space for a disaster recovery operations center.
   ' Securing donated forklifts for a disaster supply warehouse operation.
   'At this stage, the best way to help survivors is to respond to specific requests for support,' Menzies said. 'Cash can be used to procure the exact resources that the disaster response agencies need, without having to dedicate valuable resources to sorting, storage, and distribution activities.'
   To make in-kind donations of needed supply chain and logistics goods and services, visit ALAN's Web site. In addition, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) provides a list of members of and information regarding financial contributions and volunteering.