Our Beginning

9/11 2001 changed America forever. In the days that followed, people struggled to make sense of this tragic, senseless event. At the same time an outpouring of support for the victims and their families displayed the greatness of the "American spirit". This display of people helping people planted seeds of hope that continue to grow throughout America. Those seeds of hope were sewn again in Florida in 2004 after the state was hit by 3 hurricanes in 2 months and this gave birth to You Be Aware.

It began simply with a hurricane warning system that would make regular phone calls to people in advance of impending storms and alert them to evacuation routes and shelters that were available. When hurricane Katrina hit our service quickly grew into a debris cleanup, emergency roof coverings, and assistance in making homes "livable" so that those affected would not be homeless.

One of the great things that developed out of this experience was the sense of "community" among the victims of the storm and the many workers who came from out of state to assist in the recovery process. Although there were the usual scams that always seem to occur when people are made vulnerable by a disaster, for the most part, it was another display of the greatness of the American spirit. Over time it became apparent to the founders of You Be Aware that one of the greatest needs that people expressed was for timely, reliable information about the crisis. Knowing where to apply for help and receiving assistance with the process was a universal request. Alerts about scams going on in that area and who the reliable contractors were was critical to many of the hardest hit. Just having a reliable source of information was a "big deal" to those who were looking for information and encouragement.

Continue: The Change in 2007