The Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps was formed after the devastating 2007 wildfires so that neighbors could help neighbors in an emergency. The group has been planning, meeting and building a network of volunteers for the past nine years, but no one could have foreseen that the first call to action would be a global pandemic.
PNEC members, led by Terri Sorensen, adapted their game plan without missing a beat and have been out serving the Poway community alongside the city’s Community Emergency Response Team members. Volunteers from both groups are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that any Poway community member who needs help knows the resources available. They are knocking on doors around town and leaving flyers with a list of resources, both for county programs and right here in Poway.
The volunteer group is also offering assistance with picking up groceries and prescriptions for those who can’t (or shouldn’t) go out. Anyone who asks for help is matched with a PNEC volunteer from their neighborhood. Sorensen said they’ve already assisted 12 community members, and they are canvassing more neighborhoods each week to get the word out.