American Red Cross looking for leaders
American Red Cross administrator, Tina Hammett, and Disaster Action Team leader and volunteer, Walt Jennings
American Red Cross
Adam Stokes gives shampoo to victims of house fires whose homes were burned down, leaving them with just their clothes and their lives.
The 38-year-old owner of Stokes General Store in Wind Ridge is the Greene County Disaster Action Team leader for the American Red Cross. Stokes said it’s small acts like that which families displaced by fire and other emergencies appreciate most.
“If you just came out of a burning home, you’re not going to be able to get your head out of that while you still smell like smoke. That’s why we show up with toiletries and what seems like small stuff. It’s to get them out of disaster mode onto recovery and normal life again as soon as possible,” Stokes said, explaining he’s been a volunteer since 2010.
The dedication and understanding Stokes displays at disaster scenes is what American Red Cross administrators are looking for as they build up volunteer leaders. The disaster program specialist in Washington County, Tina Hammett, said the emergency care organization is seeking driven, organized individuals as volunteer enlistment continues to plateau.
“We’re desperately looking for DAT leads. They help with basic, immediate needs within the first 24 to 48 hours of an emergency or displacement. That’s crucial for families who are having their worst day of their life,” Hammett said.
There is no ideal leadership candidate, but if someone shows a background and sensitivity to the Red Cross mission of alleviating human suffering – as Washington DAT leader Walt Jennings has – then they should consider joining the volunteer force, according to regional spokesman Kevin Brown.
“Walt is an amazing person. We’re so blessed to have him in our organization,” Hammett said of the 66-year-old retired chemistry teacher who was an educator at Peters Township for 33 years.
“He’s very calming and accommodating. He’s the man in the middle of the night that goes when no one else can. He knows everything from sheltering to government liaison responsibilities,” Hammett said.
Jennings, a volunteer since 2009, didn’t start out in a leadership role. No one usually does.
“I got started out very basically – carrying water. It doesn’t matter how you start out. It’s just bringing your generosity. You don’t need any background for that,” Jennings said.
But it was indeed his background, administrators said, that led to his role as a DAT leader.
“My mother was a Red Cross volunteer. And my family was interested in helping during Hurricane Katrina,” Jennings said, “but yes, being in the classroom, doing what teachers do, which is to organize and motivate people, giving what’s necessary, it’s service. It’s a willingness to give more than you might normally be expected to give. I was looking at retirement and wanting to be useful, and so my background in science, which calls for analytical and detailed, big-picture thinking – those skills are valued and needed by Red Cross.”
Brown said you can’t teach or train what Jennings and Stokes provide.
“They’re so sensitive in those situations to bring immediate care while also helping develop a recovery plan. We need more Walts and Adams and volunteers of their caliber,” Brown said.
It’s no accident that the latest call for volunteers features a former educator. Red Cross wants leadership in its teaching mission of prevention.
“We’re doing smoke alarm installs for community groups, churches and the like, and also educating them about disaster preparedness, because we would like to prevent these situations, or at least prepare those who may be impacted,” Hammett said.
The education circuit, Hammett said, is a good way for volunteers to engage with their communities, whose residents they may see at 2 a.m. in the orange glow of a raging house fire.
“People are still at these fires, and sometimes they don’t have shoes or their keys; their car is burning up right in front of them,” Stokes said, “And a lot of the time, a little bit of help is all they need. People are amazingly strong, but when you get knocked down that hard, people aren’t always ready or able to get all the normal stuff – their prescriptions, regular care. You need to help them just a little bit so they can see the light and see hope again,” Stokes said.
Interested volunteers can go to www.redcross.org for information, or visit the Washington office at 90 West Chestnut Street. The Greene County office is in Waynesburg at 22 W. High Street.