YOUTH EMERGENCY & DISASTER RELIEF

When disaster strikes, we show up.

At The BCA Hub, we provide support to babies, children, and families impacted by emergencies, disasters, and unexpected crises. From house fires and floods to tornadoes and other life-changing events, our mission is to respond with compassion, urgency, and care.

We believe children deserve more than survival during a crisis—they deserve to feel safe, supported, and seen.

That is why we work to provide not only practical essentials, but also comfort, hope, and stability during some of life’s most overwhelming moments.

What We Provide

Our emergency and disaster relief efforts may include:

• Diapers, formula, and baby essentials

• Clothing, hygiene items, and basic necessities

• Comfort kits for children in crisis

• Sensory emergency kits for children with autism, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and other special needs

• Emergency supply distribution for families affected by disaster

• Community support during times of crisis, displacement, and recovery

We focus on helping meet both immediate needs and emotional needs—because every child responds differently to trauma and uncertainty.

Powered by Beautiful Disaster

At the heart of our emergency response efforts is our dedicated team:

Beautiful Disaster Emergency Response Team

This team helps us respond with heart, experience, and purpose—bringing real help to real families when they need it most.

Our approach focuses on three key phases of support:

Preparedness

We help families and communities prepare before disaster strikes through education, training, and practical preparedness tools.

Response

We mobilize as quickly as possible to provide essentials, comfort items, sensory support, and emergency assistance during times of crisis.

Recovery

We continue showing up after the immediate emergency has passed, helping families rebuild, regain stability, and move forward with dignity and hope.

Emergencies Do Not Wait — And Neither Do We

Emergencies and disasters do not follow a schedule. They can happen at any time, in any season, and often without warning.

That is why The BCA Hub remains committed year-round to serving families in need when possible, based on urgency, available resources, and the type of support required.

We are rooted in Illinois and serve communities across the state, with a mission built on compassion, action, and community care.

Experienced Leadership You Can Trust

The BCA Hub is led by Tricia Ponicki, whose background in emergency response, preparedness, and community service helps strengthen the work we do.

Her certifications and experience include:

• FEMA CERT training through the Village of Palos Park

• American Red Cross Disaster Action Team experience

• OSHA 30

• Certified Instructor and Trainer in First Aid, CPR, and AED through HSI and the American Red Cross

This experience helps guide our mission with both knowledge and heart—ensuring that our approach remains practical, prepared, and people-centered.

Why This Matters

Disasters do not just damage homes and belongings—they can deeply impact a child’s sense of safety, comfort, and emotional well-being.

For children with sensory sensitivities, developmental differences, autism, anxiety, or trauma, emergencies can feel even more overwhelming. That is why sensory support matters.

At The BCA Hub, we believe every child deserves to feel:

• Safe

• Supported

• Seen

And every family deserves to know they are not alone.

Requesting Assistance

If you or your family are in need of assistance, please complete the application below in full.

Our team reviews requests as quickly as possible and responds based on urgency, basic needs, and available resources. Completing all required sections helps us process your request without delay.

Learn More

If you would like more information about our programs, preparedness efforts, training opportunities, or emergency response mission, please contact Tricia Ponicki.

[Click Here to Contact Us]

Our Promise

We do not look away.
We do not forget the most vulnerable.
We do not stop caring when the crisis is hard.

We show up with compassion, essentials, and hope—because in times of emergency, community matters most.

Who We Serve

When emergencies and disasters strike, The BCA Hub is here to support the most vulnerable—especially babies, children, and families facing crisis, loss, or hardship.

We work alongside community partners, local agencies, and emergency response efforts whenever possible to bring essential resources, comfort, and support to those who need it most.

At the heart of our mission is the belief that no child, no family, and no person in need should ever feel forgotten in their darkest moment.

Emergency & Disaster Relief

Fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other disasters can turn a child’s world upside down—disrupting their sense of safety, stability, and normalcy in a matter of moments.

At The BCA Hub, we believe children deserve more than emergency response—they deserve compassionate, child-focused care that helps them feel safe, supported, and seen.

Our humanitarian response efforts are centered on reducing the impact of disasters on babies, children, and youth through effective preparedness, immediate response, and ongoing recovery support for families in crisis.

We Give a Hoot About Our Peeps on the Street

At The BCA Hub, we believe compassion should reach everyone—especially those who are too often overlooked.

Through our Hub Angels Who Ride outreach program, we provide hygiene kits and other essential items to individuals experiencing homelessness and hardship, helping restore dignity, comfort, and care to those in need.

Powered by volunteers and supported by our local communities, this mission allows us to serve hundreds of individuals each year with kindness, respect, and heart.

Because at The Hub, we believe no one should feel forgotten.