Tagged: Volunteers
Red Cross Meets Changing Needs of Communities During Flood Relief
As flood waters recede and needs change, so does the Red Cross service delivery plan. While visiting an evacuated community in West Alton where clean up supplies were being delivered, it was discovered that more than 80 people, who had not evacuated or had been able to return home, were in need of food.
On one side of Hwy 67 there is a community whose homes were not completely flooded, several feet of water in the basements was not keeping their homes from being livable, but the only road to reach them is still flooded out. They have been boating over to Parsons Pit Stop for supplies as needed. Additionally, on the drier side of the Hwy, more families have been waiting patiently as their utilities are slowly being restored. When talking to Chris Redd from the Rivers Pointe Fire District , Red Cross volunteers found an unmet need and were able to immediately provide the relief needed.
That very evening, a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle delivered 100 meals to provide dinner, and beginning 1/5/16 until such time as we are no longer needed, lunch and dinner will be provided to the community.
An Island Run
Walt Davis is a Red Cross volunteer from Kansas City, and has been part of the Emergency Response team delivering meals to an isolated population. The Red Cross delivers between 50 and 60 meals each day to a boat, which then makes it’s way to Kaskaskia Island residents who have been stranded since massive flooding closed the only bridge connecting the island to the rest of the community.
“We use whatever we need to get the food those who need it. It’s certainly the most unusual delivery I’ve ever made for the Red Cross,” Walt said. “High water won’t stop us from helping those in need.”
Since the beginning of the New Year, Red Cross has provided more than 21,000 meals and snacks to people whose lives have been interrupted by this disaster.
At this time, the American Red Cross of Eastern Missouri is fortunate to have volunteers who are trained, ready and willing to support our response to the flooding in our communities. We thank individuals and community groups who are willing to support this effort and encourage them to register to become new volunteers to help with future disaster responses.
Learn more and register online at redcross.org/volunteer and complete the online application.
Red Cross Assisting in Relief Efforts
LOUIS, MO, Monday, January 4, 2016 – American Red Cross volunteers are going through neighborhoods providing meals and cleanup kits for those affected by the massive flooding that struck portions of Missouri and Illinois.
Anyone needing flood-related assistance should call the Red Cross at 314-516-2700 or United Way 2-1-1 for additional resources.
On Monday, the Red Cross is operating shelters in Arnold and Cape Girardeau in Missouri and Granite City and Murphysboro in Illinois.
So far the Red Cross has provided 641 overnight stays in shelters and 19,410 meals and snacks in response to this flooding.
“Our focus continues to be providing comfort and assistance to those who suffered in this massive flooding,” said Cindy Erickson, Regional CEO, Red Cross of Eastern Missouri. “Again, we want to thank everyone who has taken time to help those in need. We couldn’t do it without you.”
Red Cross disaster assessment teams continue checking flood damage to homes to help determine the extent and location of assistance needed. Red Cross volunteers also will be meeting with those affected to help them plan their next steps in the recovery process.
Puzzles Pieces and Partnerships
Dan Hyatt, Red Cross Volunteer & Jo Ann Hahs, Southern Baptist Volunteer
During disaster response, we often get asked the question “how do you do it all?” Making sure peoples basic needs of shelter and food are met is a big operation, and the answer is we don’t do it all. There is not a single agency that can meet all of the needs of multiple communities alone. Partner relationships are a vital piece of ensuring peoples basic needs are met in an emergency.
In the last week, Red Cross has provided more than 19,400 meals and snacks to people affected by the catastrophic flooding across Missouri and Illinois. These meals are feeding people staying in a Red Cross shelters, or being delivered in Emergency Response Vehicles, directly into the neighborhoods where people are cleaning up their homes. But Red Cross didn’t do that alone.
This large number of meals is made possible by working directly with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) Mobile Kitchen units. Your dollars make it possible for Red Cross to purchase large quantities of food, which are delivered to SBDR Kitchens where food is prepared into thousands of meals, loaded into Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles and then delivered to the communities in need.
Jo Ann Hahs is one of the many Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers helping coordinate these hot meals. A member of the organization for more than 10 years, Jo Ann answered her first call to help in 2003. “I believe its important that people see that someone cares,” she said when asked why she does this type of volunteer work. “The personal satisfaction of helping, combined with the wonderful people I meet on every assignment is another reason I keep doing this work year after year.”
Think about all the little pieces working together, like a really intense puzzle, one of the large ones with 1000 pieces. We are thankful for the many volunteers, like Jo Ann, willing to plug in for a day or two or 10, with specialized skills and resources, making an entire disaster response possible.
Photographer: Wes Schaefer, Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
About the American Red Cross of Eastern Missouri:
Celebrating 97 years of dedicated service in the region, the American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies. Thousands of volunteers and generous donors provide community support services including disaster relief, preparedness efforts, training in lifesaving skills, service to military families and blood services. The Greater St. Louis Region covers St. Louis City, and 66 surrounding counties in Missouri and Illinois. All disaster relief services are free. To learn more about the Red Cross and how you can help, contact your local Red Cross by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS
(733-2767) or visit redcross.org.
Together As One: Red Cross Volunteers Represent in the V.P. Parade in Forest Park
Written, filmed, and edited By: Christina Cody, Communications Intern
American Red Cross volunteers and employees came together on July 4th to not only celebrate the birth of our country, but to also proudly represent one of the nation’s biggest humanitarian organizations, and represent they did! The Veiled Prophet parade took place early Saturday morning inside Forest Park. Band members, street performers, pageant winners, and volunteers all marched from the upper Muny to the St. Louis Zoo. The energy was strong and flags were high as parade goers marched with pride as the crowd cheered with joy. It was a great day of entertainment for the entire family. The Red Cross volunteers sure know how to show up and show out, and hopefully next year we’ll see some new faces!
Want to help support the American Red Cross?
Visit http://www.redcross.org/support/volunteer for more info or visit our Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/redcross
Check out a little snippet here!
Introducing Wilma St. Onge: A Scott AFB Red Cross Volunteer
Written By: Kari Ross, Communications Volunteer
Wilma has been a Red Cross volunteer for Scott AFB for 17 years. There have been a lot of changes in those 17 years, however, her 3 day a week volunteer service to this community is not one of them. I asked her how she became affiliated with the organization and she simply said, “I went to an Officers Club Spouse event one day and the Red Cross had a booth. I signed a volunteer paper, handed it back to them and I have been a volunteer ever since.” There is much more to Wilma’s story and it all centers around service.
As a retired Airman herself, she spent 20 years as a Communications Officer before retiring in 1994. She is a veteran of the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm. Though she was a Communications Officer in the Air Force, she said she learned many of her computer skills from being a volunteer with the Red Cross. It is just one of the benefits of being a volunteer that Wilma says she acquired. She boasts, “I like that sometimes I know more about computers than my kids.”
Volunteering is important to Wilma and she stated she would love to see more involvement from the Scott community. Stating, “I’m not sure people know about all of the individual things the Red Cross does.” To that she said she is willing to answer questions for those who are considering volunteering but just may not know how to get through the process or what is available. She understands that some things still need that personal touch and that the application process can be confusing. She said the technology and applications are wonderful, though, and it is all worth it in the end.
Giving back to the community is important for Wilma and in recognition of the dedication and commitment she has shown she was awarded with the Clara Barton Award in 2011. This is the highest award that can be given to a Red Cross volunteer as it recognizes their meritorious service. She said, “Volunteering makes me feel good and as with anything, you don’t have to be good when you start, you just have to persevere.”
To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross go to www.redcross.org/stl and check out the Scott AFB Red Cross’s Facebook Page. The Scott AFB Red Cross is located at: 411 POW / MIA St Bldg 21 Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225 and the telephone number is at 618.256.3292
#STLredcross 