It’s 3am and a family of five has just lost their home and everything in it to a fire. They’re devastated, scared uncertain, and…homeless. You’re called and drive to the scene. You’re able to offer a reassuring smile and a calming voice. Within the hour you have located a temporary place for them to stay, a way to eat, and some clothing to wear. You have helped them to be warm, safe, and comfortable for the night. You’ve calmed them and set up follow-up services for the next day. Ultimately, you have offered them hope when they need it most. You are a Red Cross Disaster Responder.
A hurricane is threatening the East Coast and heading straight for Portland. You are a part of a team that moves supplies to a local gymnasium. Cots are set up. Meals are on their way. Everything is in place. Authorities are evacuating homes closest to the ocean and directing those people to your shelter location. You’re ready for them. You are a Red Cross Disaster Volunteer.
Red Cross Disaster Volunteers are neighbors helping neighbors, trained and ready to respond in times of need. The Red Cross in Maine has openings throughout the state for committed volunteers willing to help in times of disaster and crisis. Whether you’re an individual who wants to join a Disaster Action Team (local, small disaster response), a sheltering or logistics volunteer helping to support a large-scale disaster, a licensed mental health or health care professional assisting disaster victims with psychological or medical needs, or an organization or company who wants to form a group of coworkers to respond together as a team, we want to hear from you!
To learn more, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer or email VolunteerNNE@redcross.org.
