February 12, 2016
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
504 Ag Hall
Stillwater, OK 74074
Name of Invitee Here
Business / Agency name here
City, State
Dear XXXX,
I am writing to formally invite you to take part in an important meeting involving about
15 individuals from your community who will be asked to share their insights on how to
further address the emergency preparedness and response needs of our area’s
vulnerable populations. The meeting is part of an important effort being supported by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. This project came about as a result of the devastating impacts associated
with tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and droughts that have impacted several
communities in [State name here] and other places in the South.
Five states (Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma) have been invited
to take part in “on the ground” roundtable discussions. _______County is only one of
two counties in [State name here] that will be taking part in this valuable activity.
The ultimate goal of our meeting is to gain clarity on how best to provide vulnerable
households and communities with the knowledge, tools, and capacity needed to
effectively respond to a variety of natural disasters. In the end, the input and advice
offered by our meeting participants – along with those collected in meetings being
hosted in the other four states – will be provided to FEMA and USDA. Our plan is to
offer them a specific set of recommendation on how to assist vulnerable community
residents be better prepared to respond to major disasters.
As a member of [Agency name here], your participation is vital to our efforts of organize
a group of experts and volunteers who are involved with local disaster preparedness,
response, and recovery efforts. We value your opinion and hope to gather insight into
the current state of emergency preparedness here in _____County.
The meeting will be held on (date) at (time) in (building). A meal will be provided prior
to the start of the meeting, and will be followed by roundtable discussions that will last
about three hours. At the end of the meeting, you and others will be invited to consider
taking part in a second meeting about a month later. This second meeting will consist
of some of the people taking part in your meeting, as well as representatives from
disadvantaged or vulnerable members of the community. The purpose of this meeting
will be to share insights and strengthen working ties between the key representatives of
both groups. If you are unable to attend the first meeting, please send a representative
on your behalf.
We hope you will be able to help us shape the future of emergency preparedness in
your community. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on
this matter.
We look forward to seeing you on the XXth!
Sincerely,
(Insert Name)
(Title)
(Phone)
(E-mail)
Supporting Agencies: