Putting Survivors First: A Conversation with Disaster Aid USA’s Larry Agee
- Nov 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: May 17
Published: November 20, 2025 · By Stephanie Weisinger
When disaster strikes, the first thing people need isn’t just supplies—it’s hope. Few people understand that better than Larry Agee, co-founder and Executive Director of Disaster Aid USA (DAUSA). A veteran with more than 80 disaster missions under his belt, Larry has spent the last 15 years leading relief efforts across the U.S. and abroad.
From Service to Survivors
Larry’s path to disaster relief began after serving in the U.S. Army. “When Katrina hit, I discovered I had a niche for solving problems quickly, just like in the military,” he explains. What started as volunteering soon became a lifelong mission. Together with another veteran, he launched DAUSA with one clear focus: keeping the survivor at the center of every decision.
Unlike some charities where donations risk getting lost in red tape, DAUSA makes sure that funds go directly to the communities they were intended for. “We’re almost obsessive about it,” Larry admits. “If someone needs 30 minutes to tell their story, we give them that time. Taking that stress off survivors is just as important as the manual labor.”
A Force Multiplier in Communities
One of DAUSA’s unique strengths lies in its “force multiplier” approach. Rather than just sending in outside teams, DAUSA trains local leaders, volunteers, and Rotary clubs on disaster response. When disaster hits, a handful of trained people can quickly turn into hundreds of capable volunteers. “That’s when you see real impact,” Larry says. “We want communities to be part of their own recovery.”
This philosophy extends to Larry’s own family. His wife, son, and daughter are all active in DAUSA operations—whether that means running logistics or operating heavy equipment. For Larry, it’s about leaving a legacy of service. “Not of wealth, but of helping others,” he says.
This model — training local leaders rather than importing outside help — reflects a deeper philosophy about what effective disaster relief actually looks like. Communities that are prepared before disaster strikes recover faster. Communities that are involved in their own recovery emerge stronger. Larry's work with DAUSA isn't just about delivering supplies. It's about building the human infrastructure that makes long-term resilience possible.
How Vee Helps DAUSA Multiply Its Impact
Even with decades of experience, Larry admits that running a nonprofit comes with challenges—especially when it comes to finding grants and staying consistent on social media. That’s where Vee.com comes in.
“With Vee, we’ve already submitted more grants in a few months than I did all of last year,” Larry shares. “I would have never found these grants on my own. Now, technology helps us identify the right opportunities, draft the applications, and ultimately raise more money so we can help more people.”
On the communications side, Vee’s AI teammate Maggie ensures DAUSA’s story is told consistently. “In the past, we were doing the work but weren’t good at sharing it,” Larry admits. “Now, social media posts go out automatically, showing donors and communities exactly where their support is making a difference.”
For a small team operating in high-stakes, fast-moving environments, this kind of infrastructure matters enormously. Every hour saved on grant research is an hour that can go toward deployment planning. Every social media post that goes out automatically is one less task for a team that's already stretched across multiple disaster zones.
What Larry's experience with Vee demonstrates is that AI doesn't have to be a distraction from the mission. When it's implemented thoughtfully, it becomes part of the mission — giving organizations like DAUSA the capacity to do more, reach more, and sustain the work longer.
By freeing up time on grant writing and content creation, Larry and his team can focus on what matters most: operations, logistics, and being on the ground with survivors.
Looking Ahead
Larry’s dream is to expand DAUSA’s reach by pre-positioning more disaster trailers across the U.S. and training more local teams. “Disaster preparedness has to become a community priority,” he says. “Because survivors deserve to know that help is coming.”
To learn more about Disaster Aid USA—or to get involved as a volunteer or supporter—visit disasteraidusa.org.
Is your nonprofit doing critical work that the world needs to hear about?
Vee helps organizations like Disaster Aid USA find funding faster, tell their story consistently, and free up their team to focus on the work that only they can do.
See how Vee's Grant and Maggie AI teammates can support your mission.
Comments