“Shake It Off” During NTDS Month This August

Nashville, TN, August 18, 2015 --(PR.com)-- With the support of Governor Bill Haslam, NTDS Month in Tennessee kicks off this August. Northwest Tennessee Disaster Services (NTDS), an all volunteer nonprofit, provides free emergency aid for the community, including emergency sheltering, mobile feeding, emergency preparedness courses, referral support for military families, emergency food pantry, mobile canteen with refreshments for first responders, and much more.

Executive Director, Rob Adcock states, “With less than 10% of the organization’s funding coming from Obion County businesses and individual donors, we’ve been forced to be more creative in finding sources for critical operation expenses. We turn to corporate sponsorship outside the state of Tennessee and even Canada to make ends meet. Since our humble beginnings, volunteers have even sold personal property including homes and vehicles to keep the Obion County based organization afloat. Times are still very tough for us, but it is our hope to someday have an affordable facility to serve as a permanent office and a storage for our fleet of emergency vehicles and supply trailers.”

Upcoming projects for the organization include a branded Affinity checking account debit card from Arvest Bank for NTDS supporters and volunteers, a commemorative nonprofit US Stamp petitioned to the USPS Stamp Advisory Committee, exclusive American Express giving incentives for card members, inclusion in Amazon Smiles program for members to donate during purchases, eBay point of sale donations initiatives, ECAR – providing mobile cooling/heating station with multi-media communications station for first responders and disaster victims premiering this Fall, a new 2015 Star of Compassion® recipient named this Fall, and plans are on track to become the first national organization based in Obion County with chapters across other states.

Adcock states, “We would like to thank supporters that preordered the NTDS Tennessee Specialty Plate, and representatives in Nashville that worked with us to get the bill passed.”

Although attempts to work with state and local representatives to name a stretch of I-69 running through Tennessee as “Taylor Swift Highway” fell short, Adcock says that they still want to do something special for the entertainment superstar that is on their Honorary Advisory Cabinet.

Adcock says that the organization is training with the National Weather Service to better prepare and train its certified storm spotters and photographers. This past winter, The Weather Channel used NTDS photos and videos on live feeds to cover the storms.

“We are also thankful to now have our 2015 Toyota Tundra to get us around in inclement weather. NTDS participated and won grants in Toyota’s '100 Cars for Good' program for the past three years until the program ended,” says Adcock.

Upcoming free NTDS classes offered at Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN:
Saturday, August 1 - 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (NTDS Month featuring Emergency Preparedness tips for families & businesses – with door prizes)
Saturday, September 5 - 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Winter Preparedness)
Saturday, October 3 - 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Earthquake Preparedness) *Participants 12 and under can win limited edition "Shake it Off" earthquake preparedness t-shirts.