American Red Cross in need of volunteers
“Fire season” for American Red Cross is beginning and lasts through March. Cold weather puts a strain on volunteers and victims who lose their homes, or worse, so the organization is ratcheting up recruitment of new volunteers to their disaster action and shelter teams.
“We’re going to have an open house (today) at our Washington office from 5 to 8 p.m., located at 90 West Chestnut Street, Suite 102. Then we’ll have one in Canonsburg on Sept. 23 at the Frank Sarris Public Library, at the same times,” said disaster team organizer Tina Hammett, who said there also will be a recruitment event at Monongahela Fire Department Oct. 1.
The main areas where the Red Cross is seeking volunteers, according to regional communications director Kevin Brown, are disaster action teams, shelter teams and various office and logistics work.
“About 90 percent of our organization is made up of volunteers,” Brown said. “The work we’re anticipating is responding to fires, floods – any emergency that displaces residents. Through interviews with victims, they assess their needs and get them resources.”
Hammett said, “We’re also looking for people to do disaster preparedness training and go out into the communities to train people how to be ready for these situations.”
Adam Stokes, a volunteer from Wind Ridge, Greene County, said he joined in 2010 after his church was asked for volunteers to help shelter people impacted by tremendous snowstorms.
“The people you’re helping, they’re always in a scenario that has them in genuine need. And it feels so good to be part of a team … and give them a hand to get them on their feet again,” Stokes said.
Walt Jennings of Canton Township, a retired teacher, said he’s been volunteering with the Red Cross for seven years.
“We also provide liaison services for all levels of government so their resources can make it out into the community more quickly,” said Jennings, one of the volunteers who responded and helped with the fire that displaced residents at Washington City Mission in June.
“The fact is, I’ve never been out on a fire call that I didn’t come back feeling a sense of satisfaction. We meet people on the worst days of their lives and give them something to keep their lives together,” Jennings said.