C.A.R.E.S.

PEACOCK GAP C.A.R.E.S.

We have exciting news to share with you! We have a new mission: Peacock Gap CARES, an invitation to work together for our community benefit. Inspired by the feedback of our first disaster preparedness survey, where 75% of respondents said they would help others in need, we have developed CARES.

C - Community. Working together to support and welcome all our residents, and to promote our collective safety and the beauty of our neighborhoods.

A - Alert. Keeping our eyes and ears open while also honoring everyone’s privacy.

R - Responsible. We treat each other with respect. If we see or hear of anyone in our community in need, when possible, we help each other or seek other appropriate resources.

E - Everyone. We are all in our Peacock Gap neighborhood together. We look out for each other as well as any visitors or workers who come and go from our community.

S - Safety. We protect our neighbors and our properties. We alert neighbors and (and authorities as appropriate) and take action if we witness any unsafe situations caused by nature or human interactions.

In 2021, we have three CARES initiatives available for you to volunteer your time:

Community Disaster Preparedness: help each other during a community disaster, led by Larry Andow, contact at ltandow@gmail.com or call 415-290-7559.
Neighbor to Neighbor Network: connect in small groups to offer periodic neighbor to neighbor support, led by Carolyn Rosenblatt, contact at clrosenblatt@gmail.com or call 415-454-0413.
Beautifying our Medians: redesign and refresh the plantings and irrigation in our median strips, led by Henry Warren: PeacockGapHOA.org/contact-us

We are seeking 3 to 4 volunteers for each initiative who can offer 3 to 4 hours per month.

Please contact the leader for the initiatives that interest you.

We value you and want your ideas!

Neighbor to Neighbor

This feature of our CARES program, a non-emergency way of creating connections. It encourages each one of us to be there for another neighbor who might, for example be ill, need help with basics like bringing in or taking out trash cans, or getting groceries.

Perhaps an isolated neighbor would like a regular check-in phone call. You can join N2N simply by introducing yourself to someone who lives nearby and suggesting yourself as someone to call on when assistance is needed. Write down your name & phone number for your neighbor and get their contact info if they wish to share it. You’re in!

Community Disaster Preparedness

As we continue to face possible disaster scenarios – wildfire, flood, earthquakes and climate change, we’re preparing, as a neighborhood, how to help each other in case of an emergency.

In September 2019 we initiated our first disaster preparedness survey to which we received 160 responses, 37% out of 427 total homes in Peacock Gap. At that time, 25% of our neighbors indicated they would need help in case of an emergency and 75% of neighbors said they would help others.

Based on these survey responses, we are creating small neighborhood pods. Our initial focus is matching up those residents who would like someone to help them in a disaster/ emergency with those who were willing to help their neighbors. To date we have set up 45 residents to check-in with 45 of their neighbors, plus another 50 neighbors who volunteered to offer help when needed.

For those of you who did not have a chance to complete a disaster preparedness survey, it’s only 10 questions and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey here.

Be Ready for an Emergency — Join a “POD”

What is a POD?

It is a group of 2-6 houses in one’s neighborhood supported by a pod leader and each other. Ideally it is a cluster of next-door and across-the-street neighbors. The pod leader takes responsibility for looking out for those in the group who self-identify as possibly needing assistance in an emergency. Pod members share responsibility to communicate their needs and look out for each other.

How does my household join a pod?

If you would like to either receive help from your neighbors or provide help to your neighbors during an emergency, please indicate your preference in the Peacock Gap CARES Community Disaster Preparedness Pod Request

What does it mean to be a pod leader?

It is a person who volunteers to take the responsibility to identify and invite a small group of houses in his/her neighborhood to create a pod. The pod leader maintains contact with those living in the houses of the pod, makes sure their contact information is current, and coordinates assistance as needed in emergency situations.

Should a disaster arise, the pod leader will contact designated emergency personnel or those in the PGHOA for direction when such contact is possible.

What does it mean to be a pod member?

Pod members include any individuals living in the houses identified in the pod. Being a pod member may include coordinating with the pod leader to physically help any pod members requiring assistance, such as evacuating in an emergency. Pod members share responsibility to communicate their need for assistance to the pod leader.

Have more questions? Read about frequently asked questions below.

Community Disaster Preparedness Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

What is a “pod”?

It is a small group of houses in one’s neighborhood which has a pod leader taking responsibility for looking out for those in the group who self-identify as possibly needing assistance in an emergency.

How many houses can make up a pod?

Minimum of two houses is a pod and it can be a maximum of six houses near the pod leader. Ideally it is a cluster of next-door and across-the-street neighbors.

What is a pod leader?

It is a person who volunteers to take on the responsibility of identifying a small group of houses in his/her neighborhood to create a pod, make initial contact and maintain contact with those living in the houses of the pod. The pod leader agrees to check in on them and possibly offer assistance as needed in emergency situations.

What does it take to be a pod leader?

It is a completely volunteer position in your neighborhood. Here are the basic requirements to be a POD leader:

It requires willingness to take on the responsibility of leadership for a few houses in a pod.
You must be age 18 or over, internet capable with internet access, and have a valid driver’s license and driveable vehicle and a cell phone with text capability.
You must be able-bodied enough to help another who could need physical assistance with evacuation, or have someone in your household or pod who could work with you to offer physical help to any self-identified elder or disabled person in your pod.
The pod leader agrees to work with the CARES committee of the Peacock Gap Homeowners’ Association to understand disaster preparedness plans for your pod, and to maintain telephone and/or email contact at least twice yearly with those in your pod.
No special training is needed and you do not have to be a medical person. The pod leader keeps track of those in your pod and modifies the pod neighbors’ contact information in hard copy to have available in an emergency.

Should a disaster arise, the pod leader will contact designated emergency personnel or those in the PGHOA for direction when such contact is possible.

Would I be legally responsible if I can’t do what a pod leader is supposed to do?

No, there is no legal requirement nor legal responsibility. It is just volunteering to be a good neighbor in an organized way, with a plan. The PGHOA created the concept for a thought-out means of helping each other in emergencies. It can even include reaching out to a pod member when a neighbor just needs a bit of extra attention. You can stop being a pod leader as you wish, though it is good to find a replacement if you retire from being a pod leader. Anyone who self-identifies, asking to be in a pod and says he or she may need help in an emergency gives the information confidentially to our CARES committee in our own PGHOA only. It is not shared with anyone else but ourselves and the pod leaders. A pod leader offers a possible extra means of help to those who may want it.

How can I find out who is a pod leader if I want to be in a pod?

You will be contacted by the person volunteering to be your pod leader and confirm that you wish to participate. If you have not heard from anyone by one week after contacting our PGHOA and identifying yourself as wanting to be in a pod, contact Carolyn Rosenblatt (clrosenblatt@gmail.com, 415 454-0413) and we will find someone who has volunteered near you to be a pod leader.

Can a pod have any other purpose besides emergency check-ins on neighbors?

Yes, we hope to develop a stronger sense of community in our Peacock Gap neighborhoods, creating ways to get to know each other better, looking out in general for one another and creating a feeling of belonging and safety among ourselves. We want pods to also be a foundation for uplifting our community by improving safety, ensuring that we know whom to contact if we, ourselves ever need help or just for more socialization and good times together when possible.

How can I become a pod leader?

First, be sure you meet the basic requirements listed above. Then you can express your interest through the Peacock Gap CARES Community Disaster Preparedness Pod Request or through completing the Community Disaster Preparedness survey. After you sign up, you need to decide which houses you want to have in your pod. You personally contact all the neighbors you want to have in your pod, invite them to be sure they are agreeable, as no one has to participate. You may also be matched with nearby neighbors who request to join a pod as well. After you are confirmed as a pod leader, please complete the Peacock Gap CARES Pod Leader Agreements form to confirm your new role.

After I volunteer to be a pod leader and identify my pod participants nearby me, then what do I do?

We suggest you start by contacting each of the residents in your pod and capture information similar to the following example. We are also working to create Pod cards that will include the contact information we have available centrally through the HOA. Your goal is to keep this information somewhere easily accessible to locate in an emergency. Please also check in with your pod every 6 months to update any information as necessary. You might want to put a reminder in your calendar to update this information twice a year.

Sample Pod Leader Information about Their Pod

John Jones’ pod, 123 My Street, mobile 415 444-4444, johnthegreat@mymail.com.

Pod members:

Mary Smith 124 My Street, 415 222=2222. Email blahblagh@goodstuff.com. She does not expect to need help.
Jack Black and Jane Black, 125 My Street. 415 666-6666. No email They are both seniors and did identify that they would need help evacuating in an emergency. Jack uses a walker.
Fanny Feefee, 122 My Street, 414 333-3333. Email blahblah@meme.com. She lives with her disabled son John, who is in a wheelchair. She would need help with evacuation in case of emergency.
Josie and Johnny Jojo, 126 My Street. 415 777-7777 Email: goingnutswteens@ok.com. Two teens also in the house. None expect to need help in an emergency. Jared Jojo is 17, able bodied, and could help evacuate a disabled or frail person in an emergency He has volunteered to assist as needed. His email is cooljared@iamcool.com.