This evening the shore line of the East Coast will alight with memorial candles and flashlights shining to commemorate the losses one year after Hurricane Sandy.  Many people were caught unprepared in that storm and in many areas the damage is still evident.  Save The Children is the nation’s leading child-focused emergency response organization, and has helped 500,000 children affected by U.S. disasters since Hurricane Katrina, including 40,000 children affected by Hurricane Sandy.  The nonprofit’s Westport, Conn. headquarters were also seriously damaged by the storm,  and so to mark this one year date, the organization hopes to make sure that next time, because there is sure to be another storm, communities are prepared.

“Sandy was the most terrifying experience in the lives of thousands of children.  But the day the storm struck was only the beginning of the upheaval and turmoil many children have experienced since,” said Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s President and CEO.   “Sandy has underscored what we already know–that children are the most vulnerable when disaster strikes.  And yet, our nation continues to under-invest in protecting our kids,” Miles said.

Save the Children is calling on Americans to take action to protect children – by preparing their own families and by supporting improved policies.  The organization’s Get Ready. Get Safe. initiative offers visitors to the site their state’s disaster report card results with an option to write their governor and a video showing Sandy’s impact on children and downloadable preparedness checklists for both parents and childcare facilities.

Let’s make sure we are prepared next time around, and able to keep our children safe.

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.