World Cares Center was founded shortly after 9/11 by Spontaneous Unaffiliated Community Volunteers (SUCVs) in New York City, who saw a need to bring together various agencies and community-based organizations in a safe and collaborative environment. As a result, the first of two September Space Community Resiliency Centers was established to promote social, emotional and physical healing for the entire responder community. After observing the strong need for Community Resiliency Centers in times of tragedy, World Cares Center introduced its Disaster Preparation & Trauma Mitigation program to bridge the gap between SUCVs and official disaster responders. Following 9/11, World Cares Center staff realized that SUCVs, because they were not affiliated with official response agencies, lacked access to information and services regarding emotional, social and physical preparedness and recovery. Therefore, they were underutilized and mismanaged during the disaster response. World Cares Center's strategy to increase the efficiency and manageability of this vital community resource led to the creation of training programs for both SUCVs and the managers who lead them. Through these programs communities learn how to mobilize their members, collaborate with local agencies and develop their own recovery strategies through Community Resiliency Centers, completing the cycle of preparedness and long-term disaster recovery. In five years, World Cares Center has grown from a volunteer-run and zero-budget community center to a multi-million dollar organization. To date, World Cares Center's September Space Community Resiliency Centers and Disaster Preparation & Trauma Mitigation programs have served over 35,000 individuals.