Veyo Relief Society: May 2014

Along with having your 72 hour kits, I came across what is called an Important Documents Binder! I thought this was such a neat idea! All of your important documents all in one place-what a thought! haha! Birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license, etc. This blog contains all of the printables you can customize to meet your families needs. If you ever had to evacuate your house quickly, this binder would definitely come in handy.

Website is: http://www.yourownhomestore.com/ all info follows....

Thank you Misty ~ what a great idea :-)

Important Documents

It is unlikely that any documents you choose to include in your kit will keep you alive. (-: However, having them all organized and together can make your life so much easier now! (and in the event of an emergency). I use my binder regularly and it is so nice having it all in one place. Read through the comments to see many, many situations when people have used their binders on normal days as well as in an emergency.

Making insurance claims, searching for missing loved ones (heaven forbid), staying in touch with family and friends, traveling around the country and accessing your financial accounts will all be much easier if you have some essential documents at your fingertips.

I’m simply going to walk you page by page through my “emergency documents binder.” I keep this near our kit, but not in it as I access and use it often. And yes, it is somewhere safe and well hidden.

Family Evacuation Plan:

The front cover:

Download it:

Nathan (my husband) and I each have our own prioritized list of what our responsibilities will be when / if we need to evacuate. If we are given 10-30 minutes notice, we start in at the top or the first list and try to get through as much as we can. The stuff at the bottom of the list isn’t as essential as the stuff at the top. If given just a few minutes to evacuate (and doing so on foot), we use the second lists instead. You can read more about our family evacuation plan here. (although I need to edit it a bit online…the printed one is more accurate!)

Important Phone Numbers:

The first page:

Download it:

This front side of this page has 6 boxes on it:

A box with our address and phone numbers
A box with “essential” info for every member of our family (name, DOB, allergies)
A box that says: “If you are unsure who to call and it is an emergency, dial 911!
A box with phone numbers to all our insurance companies along with the insurance policy numbers (car, life, health etc)
A box with other important emergency numbers (poison control, 24 hr nurse line, gas company, plummer, etc)
A box with our doctor’s phone numbers.

I have a 2nd copy of this printed and posted inside our pantry for babysitters and even my own use. I don’t want to have to take the time to look up poison control or even my children’s doctors #s each time I need them. And if I need the gas shut off, I want it done quick. Having this posted makes my life simpler.

The back side of this page has 5 boxes on it:

My husband’s family’s numbers (parents, siblings, grandparents)
My family’s numbers
Local friend’s numbers
Non-local friend’s numbers
Other important numbers

Socials & Insurance IDs

In business card sheet protector:

They are easy to access. I always know where they are and will have them in the event of an emergency. Enough said.

Family Pictures

In photo sheet protector

If you were to lose a child (during a natural disaster or otherwise) and then find him / her, you may have to prove that he /she belongs to you. This would be especially true if the child was injured / incoherent and unable to recognize you for any reason. Having a older and more recent family photo is one very quick way to prove that this child does and has belonged to you for some time. We will be getting family pictures taken on Saturday, so I will be adding a more recent picture then. The picture you see is the only one I currently have that includes Bethany, but she is just a few weeks old.

Child ID Kits

With pertinent documents behind it.

Download it:

I created this Child ID Kit after searching for a free one online and not finding one I liked. Print it out on cardstock. Write it all the info you can about your child off to the right. Take their fingerprints and be sure to include the date at the top. Update this page every 6 months. These pages are the main reason I keep this folder with me at all times. If I were to every lose my child, I’d want the police to have all their information as quickly as possible. I’ve heard horror stories of mothers who can’t remember their children’s birth dates (read similar stories in the comments below), eye color etc. b/c they are so distraught with worry. I don’t want that to happen to me.

You may also consider including a DNA sample (a piece of hair will do).

A tip for the fingerprints: DO NOT “roll” your finger when pressing it on the paper. This can cause the ridges to distort. And don’t use too much ink: practice on a piece of paper first!

One more note from one of my great readers comments: “Doing your own fingerprints at home can sometimes be difficult because of smudging, etc. Another option is to get a fingerprint card taken at any local police station/sheriff’s office. It’s free at my local police station, but sometimes they charge a small fee. You just need to take a photo ID with you when you go.”

Behind each of my Child ID kits (in the same sheet protector), I keep that child’s birth certificate & shot record. My kids have no allergies or health concerns, but if they did, I would keep details on that info in this sleeve as well. If your child does have allergies, I suggest you read TJ’s advice (she is a reader here) about what she does for her kids (read it here)

Adult ID Kits

With pertinent documents behind them

Download it:

If my husband and I were to go missing or not be found after a natural disaster, I would once again want to quickly give authorities as much info as I could. I keep our birth certificates, immunization records and passports behind each kit.

Pet ID Kit:

I don’t have pets, but many of you do! One of my fabulous readers, Wren from Her Hero, His Lady created a Pet ID Kit based off the ID kit above. So, if you have a pet (I do not), you can now download and use her fabulous template! Thanks Wren!

Download:

Financial Info:

and extra cash / cards

I keep a written copy of all our log-in information for our various online accounts including banks, insurance, cell phone, school loans, facebook, email etc. (And I’m NOT telling you where I hide this folder!) I do not save this anywhere on my computer though I do store it in a secure online database. I also keep cash and an extra set of credit cards here.

Concerns About the Risks

I’ve had many, many people comment or send me emails about their concern over this post. Some have been very kind, others, not so much.

First, all the numbers / important info in the pictures has been blurred / blocked with software that will not allow it to be “cleaned up.”

Second, yes, having all this in one place creates a risk. But there is risk no matter what. If you don’t have the folder at all there are risks. If you keep it in your home there are risks. You have to weigh which risk is less scary to you. For me, I’ve decided the risk of not having it is scarier than the risks created by having it. My folder is very well hidden and does not call attention to itself. If it were to be stolen, I would know very soon after the fact and would immediately take measures to protect my identity.

The risks of not having this folder and needing it are much more common (just read them comments below about all the times people wished they’d had one). Some aren’t serious, some are, but I feel “safer” having it. If you don’t and feel the risks outweigh the benefits, then by all means, don’t make one! If you are nervous about the risk and what some other ideas, read the comments below, there are lots of great ideas from my fabulous readers! And if you want to chime in with some other ideas or possible solutions, feel free! I love differing opinions. But please, be kind! Being mean never helps anyone. (-:

Veyo Relief Society

Friday, May 23, 2014

Clean Birth Kit Success

Friday, May 16, 2014

MAY Relief Society Night

Happy Mothers Day

72 Hour Kit: Important Documents Binder

Important Documents

Family Evacuation Plan:

The front cover:

Important Phone Numbers:

The first page:

Socials & Insurance IDs

In business card sheet protector:

Family Pictures

In photo sheet protector

Child ID Kits

With pertinent documents behind it.

Adult ID Kits

With pertinent documents behind them

Pet ID Kit:

Financial Info:

and extra cash / cards

Other Important Document:

Everything else…

Concerns About the Risks