The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Globally, the increasing severity of climate-related disasters has forced the world to confront climate change. The world will continue to see an increase in the frequency and intensity of temperature extremes, marine heatwaves, heavy precipitation, wildfires, and, in some regions, agricultural and ecological droughts. The proportion of intense tropical cyclones may continue to increase, while Artic Sea ice, snow cover, and permafrost will continue to diminish.
Over the past six years, the average number of days between disasters decreased from 81 to 18. In response, Team Rubicon continues to launch operations to meet the needs of impacted communities across the country. In 2022 alone, Team Rubicon completed 118 operations, with the majority of hazards being climate-related disasters. From hurricane response to wildfire mitigation to flood recovery, the need for Team Rubicon’s services has been steadily increasing, and our teams continue working to support those most affected by disaster. Over 23500 individuals were served in 2022 by roughly 8600 volunteers – however, we know the need for our services persists.
Team Rubicon also launched the TRades Academy in 2022 after identifying a critical gap in skilled trades workers across the country. TR continues to witness a critical shortage of credentialed contractors with the skills required to provide homeowners with efficient and high-quality rebuild and repair services following disasters. To address this shortage, Team Rubicon is developing the TRades Academy program which will provide veteran Team Rubicon volunteers with trade skills (contracting, electric, plumbing, and HVAC) through our Rebuild Program to then use within their own communities. The TRades Academy will harness veteran leadership, enabling Team Rubicon to begin significantly scaling rebuild operations by the end of 2025, while providing students the credentials and field experience needed to become certified contractors in their own communities.