Great Lakes Division

Advancing preparedness, food resilience, and community stability across the Great Lakes region.

Serving communities across Ohio, Michigan, and adjacent Great Lakes states.

Serves as a Corp, office

About the Great Lakes Division

The National Preparedness Network Great Lakes Division was established to address shared regional challenges affecting communities throughout the Great Lakes corridor, including food insecurity, aging infrastructure, industrial decline, severe weather, flooding, economic dislocation, and community disengagement.

This division provides a regional coordination structure that supports multiple cities, counties, and emerging local chapters, allowing for scalable programming, shared resources, and strategic deployment of preparedness and resilience initiatives.

The Great Lakes Division serves as both an operational hub and an incubator for future city- and county-level chapters, ensuring programs are launched responsibly, sustainably, and under unified governance.

Coverage Area

The Great Lakes Division currently serves or supports communities in:

Ohio
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois
Pennsylvania

If your community is near these areas and interested in partnering, we encourage you to reach out.

Local Programs & Initiatives

Preparedness Education

Four Pillars of Preparedness courses and workshops
Severe weather and emergency readiness training
Family preparedness planning sessions
Community preparedness seminars for churches, schools, and civic groups

Community Outreach & Support

Local outreach events and preparedness fairs
Support for underserved neighborhoods
Senior and vulnerable population outreach
Community resource coordination

Food & Resilience Projects

Community gardens and food access initiatives
Urban and rural growing programs
Food preservation and storage education
Nutrition resilience workshops

Urban & Neighborhood Initiatives

Neighborhood beautification projects
Youth engagement and education programs
Vacant lot activation and cleanup projects
Community pride and ownership initiatives

Special Initiatives

Pilot resilience projects in high-need neighborhoods
Disaster preparedness and response support
Partner-driven community improvement programs

Program availability varies by county. New initiatives are launched based on community need, partner support, and volunteer capacity.

Volunteer Opportunities

We are actively seeking volunteers across Northwest Ohio for:

Community outreach and engagement
Garden build and maintenance teams
Event and workshop support
Education assistants and facilitators
Logistics, setup, and transport crews
Administrative and coordination support

Whether you can help one day a month or weekly, there is a role for you.

Partner With the Great Lakes Division

We partner with:

Churches and faith-based organizations
Schools and youth programs
Local nonprofits and community groups
Landowners and farmers
Small businesses and civic organizations
County and municipal agencies

Partnerships may include:

Land access for gardens and projects
Joint programming and events
Sponsorships and in-kind donations
Educational collaboration
Community improvement initiatives

Current Partners

The Great Lakes Division operates under the governance, policies, and oversight of the National Preparedness Network (501c3). All programs, branding, and activities remain aligned with NPN bylaws, ethics standards, and organizational policies. Local chapters operate within this structure and do not function independently.