Cate Arnold and Shireen Farrahi, from Neighbors Ready! and Beaverton CERT (Jan 19, 2026)
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Do you want to make a difference to your family, friends, and community? Consider becoming a Community Host for the Be 2-Weeks Ready program. This program was developed by Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) to help families, neighborhoods and communities strive to be self-sufficient for two weeks in the event of a disaster. As a Community Host, you play an important role in building your community’s resiliency by:
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The Be 2 Weeks Ready program is designed to help you prepare your community for emergencies. While people can learn and get prepared on their own, there are many benefits to learning about preparedness within your social circles. For example, you can learn about different skills and resources that other people have, as well as who may need assistance during a disaster and who might be able assist.
When we say "community," we mean any group of people who spend time together, such as groups that share common interests, live in the same area, have similar jobs or work together. A community group could include employees in a work environment, students and their family members, faith-based groups, neighborhood associations, or a local 4-H club. The intent is to share this program with groups already established in communities that can work together to create a culture of preparedness.
Communities are important because they can provide collective strength during tough times. When people in the same area come together to prepare, they can pool resources, share knowledge and offer support. This makes everyone better equipped to handle the challenges that come with prolonged emergencies.
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Click to download the Tool Kit
Be prepared! We'll show you how. Click the image to contact Neighbors Ready!
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You can participate in the Be 2 Weeks Ready program by downloading the toolkit in your preferred language to learn at your own pace, OR you can participate as a community. Community groups participating in this program are facilitated by volunteer Community Hosts--members of the community who are trained and mentored by a Program Coordinator for Be 2 Weeks Ready. In Oregon, everyone within a community participating in the program receives a printed copy of the Tool Kit.
Neighbors Ready! is a program coordinator for communities located in the Beaverton School District area. If you'd like to organize your community or group and live or work in the Beaverton School district boundaries, you can contact Neighbors Ready! We have a team of trained volunteer Program Coordinators who can help train you to become a Community Host. We can get you started by helping you with materials, advice and training in the Be 2 Weeks Ready program. We'll also help facilitate your first meeting, if you'd like.
If you live in Oregon outside the Beaverton School District area, and you want to find a Program Coordinator to help you organize your community or neighborhood, contact Oregon Emergency Management at: [email protected] |
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A Community Host is the link between the Program Coordinator and community members receiving the Be 2 Weeks Ready program. Community hosts do the following:
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What's a 4-in-1 tool good for? Judy Janowitz, Neighbors Ready!, explains the benefits (Jan 19, 2026)
Click to download the Community Host Guide
Community Hosts facilitate meetings in their community
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Image source: Neighbors Ready! Jan 2026
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Understanding some key principles of adult learning can help as you facilitate your community group. Keep these principles in mind:
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Gloria Lee, Neighbors Ready!, trains Community Hosts (Jan 19, 2026)
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Students demonstrate the 2-bucket toilet system (Jan 19, 2026)
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Click to open the presentation
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Unit 1: Preparing to Prepare |
Unit 2: Your Emergency Plan
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Unit 3: Food Plan
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Unit 4: Water Plan
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Unit 5: Waste & Hygiene Plan
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Unit 6: Shelter Plan
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Unit 7: First-Aid Plan
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Unit 8: Emergency Management |
Community Host Guides & Tips
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