In May of 2011, the day after one of many tornadoes pummeled Alabama that year, Greg Martin had an overwhelming sense that he should go help. He reached out to some friends, and within just a few days a team was headed to Alabama. When they arrived, they were met with piles of debris and rubble – all of which had been people’s homes. What was so inspiring, was that these people who had just lost everything did not see themselves as victims, but as survivors. It was in this spirit that DRAW was born.

In May 2012, dozens of caring individuals came together to help form the organization and processes to meet survivors’ needs. At their rock bottom, disaster survivors need quick and precise assistance. And so, the DRAW process was formed. After a disaster hits, DRAW visits the site to assess the damage and needs of the survivors, and then returns with either supplies or a team to perform the work that needs to be done to help the survivors return to normalcy.