Through initiatives and collaborations, the Heart of Illinois United brings together nonprofit organizations, schools, business, labor and government to address critical health and human care needs in central Illinois.

Rebuilding Hope After a Natural Disaster

After the 2013 tornado, central Illinois residents united to support their neighbors, family, friends and coworkers who lost their homes in Tazewell County. To support long-term recovery needs of central Illinois, the Heart of Illinois United Way established a tornado relief fund and published the book Rebuilding Hope After a Natural Disaster: Pathways to Emotional Healing and Recovery.

Rebuilding Hope after a Natural Disaster: Pathways to Emotional Healing and Recovery

To download a PDF copy
of the book, click here.

Survivors of a natural disaster need concise calming and coping strategies to help for both short and long-term needs. The purpose of this book is to provide valuable assistance to survivors, caregivers and support groups. Included are personal first-hand experience stories, emotional recovery strategies, and resources for a variety of post-disaster time periods and age groups. “Rebuilding Hope” is meant to serve as an effective tool to offer emotional support during the healing process, to help communities recover, and to ultimately rebuild hope.

Recovery Strategies and Resources

Emotional healing after a natural disaster or traumatic event is a journey, unique to each individual. Rebuilding Hope After a Natural Disaster: Pathways to Emotional Healing and Recovery provides calming and coping strategies to assist survivors, caregivers, and support groups along their pathway to emotional healing. The complete strategies from Rebuilding Hope After a Natural Disaster, are available online by clicking here.  Resources in the book are organized by age group.  Click here for a complete list.