enree erzweglle
09-15-2005, 12:15 PM
I talked with representatives from the local Red Cross today and took notes about the Katrina-related volunteer effort that they're assembling. These notes are rough--if you want more details or the absolute most current information, please contact your local branch of the Red Cross.
If you're interested in helping with hurricane-recovery efforts, you can do so locally or you can take training and travel with the Red Cross to provide relief in areas that were directly affected by the hurricane.
Over the coming months, the Red Cross will mobilize thousands of volunteers to send to the south. (They're hoping to send 800 volunteers from my city alone.) Because it's a massive and far-reaching effort, they're waiving some requirements and are offering accelerated disaster relief training.
Here's how to help:
at the local level--working with your local Red Cross to
. man phones and make phone calls
. assemble information packets for training sessions
. assist at the training sessions
. process donations
. assist victims who have been relocated to your city
in areas directly affected by Katrina--working with the Red Cross to
. help with mass feedings
. distribute supplies
. assist at Red Cross shelters
. assess hurricane damage (may require additional training)
. provide medical support (for qualified medical personnel)
To help at the local level, contact your local branch of the Red Cross. They're flexible and will work with you given your time constraints.
To travel to areas that were directly affected by Katrina, among other things, you'll be required to attend a 2-3 day training session, possibly take or renew CPR training, and be reviewed and approved for travel deployment. (These requirements likely do not pertain to people who have experience with the Red Cross or who already have current Red Cross volunteer certification.)
Red Cross personnel stress, repeatedly, that traveling south is a hardship assignment, which means that it "demands flexibility and the emotional and physical stamina to endure long days and extreme conditions." On-site volunteers will be situated in difficult conditions and will be working 12-hour shifts 6 days a week for 3-week assignments.
If you'd like to help but don't have available vacation time, check to see if your organization knows about this program (http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/irs_vacation/index.htm). ("The Internal Revenue Service announced a program where employees across the country can trade in their sick or vacation days in exchange for cash to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.")
If you're interested in helping with hurricane-recovery efforts, you can do so locally or you can take training and travel with the Red Cross to provide relief in areas that were directly affected by the hurricane.
Over the coming months, the Red Cross will mobilize thousands of volunteers to send to the south. (They're hoping to send 800 volunteers from my city alone.) Because it's a massive and far-reaching effort, they're waiving some requirements and are offering accelerated disaster relief training.
Here's how to help:
at the local level--working with your local Red Cross to
. man phones and make phone calls
. assemble information packets for training sessions
. assist at the training sessions
. process donations
. assist victims who have been relocated to your city
in areas directly affected by Katrina--working with the Red Cross to
. help with mass feedings
. distribute supplies
. assist at Red Cross shelters
. assess hurricane damage (may require additional training)
. provide medical support (for qualified medical personnel)
To help at the local level, contact your local branch of the Red Cross. They're flexible and will work with you given your time constraints.
To travel to areas that were directly affected by Katrina, among other things, you'll be required to attend a 2-3 day training session, possibly take or renew CPR training, and be reviewed and approved for travel deployment. (These requirements likely do not pertain to people who have experience with the Red Cross or who already have current Red Cross volunteer certification.)
Red Cross personnel stress, repeatedly, that traveling south is a hardship assignment, which means that it "demands flexibility and the emotional and physical stamina to endure long days and extreme conditions." On-site volunteers will be situated in difficult conditions and will be working 12-hour shifts 6 days a week for 3-week assignments.
If you'd like to help but don't have available vacation time, check to see if your organization knows about this program (http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/irs_vacation/index.htm). ("The Internal Revenue Service announced a program where employees across the country can trade in their sick or vacation days in exchange for cash to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.")