Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis—A Memoir and Expert Analysis of Our World's Growing Vulnerability to Natural Disasters

by Samantha Montano

There are many ways to categorize the people who volunteer during disasters, but generally we make a distinction between affiliated volunteers, meaning those working with a specific organization, and spontaneous volunteers—those who just show up to help on their own.205 Affiliated volunteers often work with well-established disaster nonprofits. As is the case in recovery, nonprofits fill the gap between what individuals can do on their own and what government does to respond to an unfolding disaster.