When disaster strikes the American Red Cross is there to help victims pick up the pieces. Volunteers are now being recruited to help with emergency and disaster relief efforts for the upcoming severe storm season and for local emergency response efforts throughout the year.
“There are so many ways to be involved in the Red Cross,” spokesman Matthew Meyers-Thieschafer says. “We need volunteers with all kinds of skills. We have great opportunities for people who have always wanted to help.”
The Red Cross responds to small and large disasters, from home fires to tornadoes to floods and other disasters. Volunteers are needed for a variety of response roles, including those who respond in-person, those who coordinate efforts behind-the-scenes, those who dispatch and coordinate responses, those who provide their medical expertise, those who provide their mental health expertise, those who provide their public affairs expertise and those who meet with clients after-the-fact to assist with resources.
Most of these roles require on-call hours where volunteers sign up for shifts based on their availability. All Disaster Services volunteers must be at least 18 years of age, commit to at least 1 year of service, and attend approximately 20 hours of required training that is provided at no cost to the volunteer.
To apply to be a Red Cross volunteer go to: http://bit.ly/2018REDCROSS .