Samantha Penta is an assistant professor of emergency preparedness in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at UAlbany. Her research focuses on health and medical care in crises, decision-making in preparedness and response and humanitarian logistics.
Samantha Penta is an assistant professor of emergency preparedness in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at UAlbany. Her research focuses on health and medical care in crises, decision-making in preparedness and response and humanitarian logistics.
The UAlbany News Podcast is hosted and produced by Sarah O'Carroll, a Communications Specialist at the University at Albany, State University of New York, with production assistance by Patrick Dodson and Scott Freedman.
Have a comment or question about one of our episodes? You can email us at mediarelations@albany.edu, and you can find us on Twitter @UAlbanyNews.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Welcome to the UAlbany news podcast. I'm your host, Sarah O'Carroll.
Sarah O'Carroll:
It's been about a year and a half since hurricane Maria ripped across Puerto Rico, a storm regarded as the most destructive disaster on record to affect the Island. I have with me, Samantha Penta, an assistant professor of emergency preparedness at UAlbany. Her research focuses on health and medical care in crises, decision making and preparedness, and response at humanitarian logistics.
Speaker 2:
How long is it going to be until those 9,500 container just sitting there with these vital supplies are actually released from the port and sent to the victims of Hurricane Maria?
Speaker 3:
It is a gridlock of problems and officials tell us that they are doing the best that they can to deal with them, but here on the ground we are hearing again and again from people that they are not seeing the help that they need.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Samantha, thank you for being here today.
Samantha P:
Thank you for having me.
Sarah O'Carroll:
And I hear that you've recently come back from Puerto Rico, so welcome back to UAlbany and campus. I hope that your semester has been going well. Can you share a little bit about your trip there?
Samantha P:
Yes, thank you. So my trip was in partnership with a couple other faculty here at the University at Albany and we were taking students and it was actually a combination service academic trip. So there were three programs combined. I had four students with me who had taken a semester long course on crisis and public health and we were exploring those issues specifically as they related to the recovery from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The other two programs were specifically service programs, but both programs combined with some experiential learning activities and then all the students did participate in service.
Samantha P:
We had the opportunity to work with a wonderful organization called OMPI, that primarily works with populations, adults with developmental disabilities that are otherwise underserved in that part of Puerto Rico and have taken on additional work following the hurricane, rebuilding homes in the neighborhood of La chorrera, which is the poorest neighborhood in Mayaguez, the city where we were working.
Samantha P:
So our students were working on the end portion of a couple of home projects, painting homes as they were finally being finished. And we have to thank our partners at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and also our partners at [Inese 00:02:33] who were able to connect us with that wonderful organization and really facilitated finding some amazing guest speakers and experiences for our students to participate in.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Oh, that sounds like a really meaningful trip.
Samantha P:
It was. It was phenomenal for the students. It was phenomenal for those of us who participated, Martha Asselin and Zakhar Berkovich were the two other faculty who went and for all of us, I think it was a really tremendous experience.
Sarah O'Carroll:
I'm really glad to hear. Now, I know you weren't conducting, as you said, it was about experiential learning and service, but were there any takeaways from just being on the island that sometimes photos can't convey? Any takeaways from recovery efforts?
Samantha P:
Absolutely. I think what was incredibly powerful to me and others there that, while Puerto Ricans have been amazingly resilient and have been able to come a long way since Maria, there's still so far to go. So in the neighborhood where we were working, there were still blue tarps everywhere. There are homes that are still damaged, severely damaged from the storm that are still in need of serious repair.
Samantha P:
The situation in the recovery in Puerto Rico right now is very much linked to the pre-Maria economic context and crisis that they were going through. So the struggles the government's having inquiring resources and delivering resources to affected individuals, as well as the difficulties that people who are already vulnerable before the hurricane are experiencing now. It was incredibly apparent. There's still a lot of work to be done in Puerto Rico.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Now I know that your research focuses on donor fatigue. So what is donor fatigue and why is that such a problem when it comes to disaster relief?
Samantha P:
So actually a lot of my work has expanded beyond donor fatigue to look at the reasons why people give what they give, and sort of when they do. And so donor fatigue is one part of that. Donor fatigue is the idea that if you've already given to a particular event or to other events in the past that you might be less inclined to give. So if you recall that the year that Hurricane Maria hit, shortly before we had Hurricane Harvey, which hit the Houston area, and hurricane Irma, which also did hit Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. But I think for most people they think of it as a Floridian event.
Samantha P:
And so in that case we would see donor fatigue emerge and most people donating to Harvey and then seeing less aid being donated for Irma and then even less for Maria, which we were seeing in some of the aftermath of that event. So that's one part of it, but it's a part of this bigger issue of thinking about what is the most appropriate aid to provide people who have recently experienced a disaster and are overcoming that and when that should be provided.
Sarah O'Carroll:
So what would an inappropriate aid look like? What are some things that come from goodhearted people wanting to make a difference, but perhaps don't translate into the help that they want it to do.
Samantha P:
So time and again, both my work and other scholars who've been doing work in the area, found that unsolicited material goods donations are hugely problematic.
Samantha P:
Now that's not to say that large organizations like The Red Cross shouldn't be bringing in pallets of organized supplies, but...
Sarah O'Carroll:
Water bottles and clothes, and...
Samantha P:
Yeah, so large scale items can be fine, but clothing donations are hugely problematic after a disaster. They're messy to sort, they're often in poor condition and a lot of times there's nowhere to store them, so they end up sitting out in the sun, they get wet, they get moldy and they have to be destroyed.
Samantha P:
But even things that you might think of as being important, like water bottles or canned food, there are several problems with people just sort of doing a local organization donation and then shipping it. One, it's often not organized in an efficient way. So there's a tremendous tax on the receiving entities to try to even sort and store and organize it.
Samantha P:
There can actually be some safety concerns so if you think, if there's ever a situation where there's a food recall, we've seen those recently in the United States. If an organization has made an arrangement with a supplier, they're going to get a bunch of supplies that are in the same series of numbers. So they can easily check the range of serial numbers associated with their product to know if it's affected. If you just have random donations, then you have to check every single item, or you don't check it and then potentially there's contaminated food being distributed. And there's issues with expiration dates, again with storage. But then there's also this whole efficiency idea.
Samantha P:
So an organization can get much more bang for your buck that you donate, than what you're spending, collecting your own items and then having them shipped to a local area. So there's a whole host of difficulties associated with donation of materials that really come from well-meaning people who want to do good, but it's often not the most effective means for supporting people in that population.
Samantha P:
One other thing I'll add is another reason why money can be or is so helpful after disasters is precisely because it's so flexible. So not only can it be used to buy the appropriate amount of exactly what's needed, but it can be used over a longer term. So along with this idea of donor fatigue, one of the things we find is a lot of people want to donate right after the event.
Sarah O'Carroll:
They're seeing the photos and videos and know people.
Samantha P:
Absolutely, right? But then there are still needs after six months, a year, multiple years. We still see that in New Orleans, people are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. A monetary donation can be redirected for those recovery needs that might not make it into the news that might not be as flashy, but are still hugely important to the people who are surviving these events. Whereas if you've donated canned goods, that's not going to have a similar kind of utility months or years after the event.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Now, can you give any guidance to donors who, as far as direction in which organizations to go to, I don't want it to sound like I'm asking you to sponsor certain organizations, but I think for a lot of people they see something that they're not familiar with, especially if it's in a different country. We all know Red Cross but we might not know this other organization who was on the ground as well.
Samantha P:
So I have two points to really speak to that, because I'm some people who give material goods are very sort of wary about larger institutions and how they use their money. So I have two things to speak to those concerns, because they come from a good place of wanting their money to do the most good. One. some administrative costs are necessary, so it's not bad that some of that exists.
Samantha P:
Even in an organization based on entirely on volunteers, you still need to house those people to support their travel, to have some logistical support around the event. That would all be considered administrative cost. And so that's important for the effect of running of an organization, and for organizations who have paid employees who are specifically trained to be able to jump into a situation immediately. That's also a part of that cost. So don't get scared off because there are some administrative costs associated with running an organization.
Samantha P:
But the other thing I recommend to donors who might be concerned about where their money's going. Take a little time now even without thinking about a particular disaster and find an organization with values that align to your own. Find an organization you can trust. Maybe that is an organization that focuses on a particular kind of issue you're passionate about, or taking the time to understand how the organization runs and makes decisions. Or finding an organization that's really good at finding local partner organizations in the ground, in effected areas.
Samantha P:
Do a little bit of that research now and you will feel much more comfortable giving your money to those organizations. And that way you can really have the biggest impact with your donation, while alleviating any concerns you might have about how your donation is going to be used.
Sarah O'Carroll:
It sounds like in the same way that you might think of investing, you wouldn't want to do that without researching the companies in the same way with these organizations who are doing good. You want to do your due diligence before so that when crisis hits, you know it's going to a good place.
Samantha P:
Absolutely, and there are a lot of really great organizations out there, large and small that do really meaningful work for disaster survivors. Some of them might be organizations that work internationally. Some of them might have a more localized focus, but there are good places and good organizations to support out there.
Samantha P:
So taking a little bit of extra time to find one that you feel like is a model organization, or that you feel like is is a valid recipient of your donation can go a long way. Rather than trying to control your donation and other mechanisms by directing it towards material goods. Spend a little time instead thinking about what organization you would rather donate to.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Hmm, Oh, that's really thought provoking. Now are those similar tactics you would direct towards those who are in fundraising for disaster relief in that they should also carry this message of you want to do your research and you want to be knowledgeable about where your money is going?
Samantha P:
So I would say probably yes. One of the interesting things that's come out of a lot of the research, myself and colleagues, Maggie Nelan at the University of North Texas and Tricia Wachtendorf at the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware have found is that donors have a whole host of reasons for giving what they give.
Samantha P:
And so some of that is for the utility of the donations, some of it is feeling sympathy or empathy with survivors, but also because they want the experience to be one in which people come together in their own communities, trying to communicate through the giving of material goods that we are here with you. That visual for them is something that they can't communicate with recipients in the same way with a monetary donations. Right? Or being able for me to show up on your doorstep and say, "I am here with you. Look at how much I care."
Samantha P:
So what I would really encourage organizations trying to fundraise and garner support is to think about how those monetary donations, that process of giving monetary donations can maybe be crafted in a way that would help meet those other donor needs. If donors want to have a connection with survivors, is there a way that we can make giving a monetary donation a process that can facilitate that kind of personal connection, or a process for creating that connection among their own communities?
Samantha P:
I think that's something that could be really useful for organizations trying to work in disasters.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Hmm. Now, do you have any plans on returning to Puerto Rico anytime soon?
Samantha P:
So specific plans? No. However, our partners at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez were absolutely phenomenal. And so the other scholars that they connected us with were great. And this is actually part of the first step of a larger partnership between the University at Albany and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. So we're hoping that this can help build the foundation for further, not just educational, but research partnerships between the two institutions. So specific plans? No, but I'm excited for what the future might bring in terms of partnerships with myself and with other scholars here at the two institutions.
Sarah O'Carroll:
No, it's been great to see how many students from UAlbany and SUNY at large have been on board with this and wanting to help in tangible ways.
Samantha P:
Absolutely. It's been very moving to see the commitment from our students to service and I know specifically with the trip I was on, it was a very moving experience for them and to see how they grew, and then the impact that they had on the communities that we were working with. And even in that short time that we were there, how it seemed that the work that they were doing was making a meaningful impact for the people that we were helping. So it's very incredible to see.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Well, Samantha, thank you so much for being here and sharing about your trip and your research.
Samantha P:
Thank you so much for having me.
Sarah O'Carroll:
Thank you for listening to the UAlbany News Podcast. I'm your host Sarah O'Carroll, and that was Samantha Penta from the College Of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by emailing us at mediarelations@albany.edu and you can find us on Twitter @UAlbanyNews.