Fort Wayne & NE Indiana News

The latest positive news written by residents and organizations in our community.
Family   |   Latest News

Red Cross Issues Call For Volunteers To Fill Urgent Disaster Response Needs

The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross seeks volunteers to help address the many disaster response activities across the U.S. It has been two weeks since Hurricane Laura devastated east Texas and Louisiana, and people are still suffering. Thousands of people are still staying in emergency lodgings because they cannot return home. Historic deadly wildfires continue to consume millions of acres in the west, especially in California, Oregon and Washington, where tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate.

The Red Cross is working closely with partners to provide emergency lodgings, food, water, relief supplies and other support to individuals and families affected in the hardest hit areas. To further ramp up support for those reeling from disasters, the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross has fast-tracked its Disaster Action Team (DAT) training and set up virtual delivery capabilities so new volunteers can learn basic response and recovery skills and quickly deploy to a disaster location.

Before committing to training, disaster response volunteers should be willing and able to:

• Accept a two-week deployment;

• Live in a communal space (i.e., a shelter); and

• Work 12 hours per day, 6-7 days each week.

“People depend on the Red Cross in times of need, and currently the needs are great. We’re strengthening our cadre of disaster responders so it is trained and ready to go,” said Chad Priest, regional CEO of the American Red Cross—Indiana Region. “Kindness and compassion are the main job requirements for most of these roles. We can quickly teach everything else.”

To join the Red Cross mission and receive expedited training to provide essential services to those in need, go to: www.redcross.org/volunteertoday or call (888) 684-1441.

About the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross: The Indiana Region serves 104 counties across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois through its six chapter areas: Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). For more information on the Indiana Region: www.redcross.org/indiana. Follow the Indiana Region on Twitter at: @INRedCross, on Instagram at: @indianaredcross or www.facebook.com/INRedCross.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.