Aug
30
Written by:
American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter
8/30/2008 10:02 PM
St. Louis, Thursday, August 28, 2008 - The American Red Cross is making preparations to respond to Tropical Storm Gustav by moving resources into the areas of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama today and Friday. The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter has already deployed seven disaster volunteers to Louisiana; over 400 more volunteers are on standby to help.
Disaster Volunteers Mike Wood (Granite City, IL) and Larry Boyer (O'Fallon, MO) left St. Louis early this morning to drive the St. Louis Area Chapter's Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to Baton Rouge; the ERV is equipped to serve up to 600 meals at a time. Earlier this morning, hundreds of cots and blankets from the Red Cross supply warehouse here in St. Louis were loaded into eighteen-wheelers heading to Red Cross staging areas in Baton Rouge. Volunteers Charlie Meyer (Arnold, MO), Gary Ogle (DeSoto, MO), Pamela Donley (Wentzville, MO) and Forrest Routh (St. Peters, MO) are now deploying to various areas of Louisiana; all are trained in mass care-operating Red Cross shelters and feeding stations.
Red Cross Volunteer Roy Gillespie (St. Louis, MO) is on his way to New Orleans in a high-level leadership position as the National Liaison Manager for Labor, organizing labor union members to help in the relief efforts. Gustav marks Roy's sixth national assignment on behalf of Red Cross; Roy, who is a Human Rights Commissioner with the Teamsters, is considered a Red Cross logistics expert.
New Volunteer Training
As St. Louisans anticipate the destruction possible by Gustav, many are asking how they can volunteer to help. Red Cross volunteers are highly trained, ready well before disaster strikes. In hopes of training more volunteers for disasters such as Gustav (please note that participation in training does not guarantee assignment for the Gustav relief effort), the St. Louis Area Chapter has quickly organized two training sessions for new volunteers: Friday, September 5 or Friday, September 12 in Creve Coeur, MO. New volunteers only need to attend one of the training sessions; each session runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone interested in attending should visit www.redcrossstl.org and submit a volunteer application. The following minimum requirements apply for anyone interested in becoming a disaster volunteer:
- Age 18 or older
- Possess a high school diploma or GED
- Possess a valid driver's license
- Possess a valid email address
- Lift and carry 50 lbs repeatedly
- Be in good general health
- Able to work 12 hour shifts
- Able to tolerate adverse living and/or working conditions
- Able to sleep on a floor or cot
- Available for a minimum of 14 consecutive days
About Red Cross Emergency Services:
The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter and other needs in the wake of disasters and emergencies. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a vast array of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that give freely of their time.
All Red Cross disaster relief assistance is free of charge, thanks to generous public support. For more information about making a donation, volunteer opportunities, emergency services or a variety of other programs, please call
314.516.2800, or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter’s website at
www.redcrossstl.org.
About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates
91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than
446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at
314.516.2800 or
www.redcrossstl.org.
Tags:
1 comments so far...
Re: American Red Cross Begins Deployment of Local Volunteers
Please make sure I am signed up for Sep 5. I have put in my on-line application. My phone number is 618-498-2570. Thank you. I am anxious to get started. Thank you for making this information available to channel 5. I call them when I need the best info.
By Barbra Moran on
9/3/2008 10:27 AM
|