Newspaper Page Text
Volunte^^
When a natural disaster happens, many of us
want to help. On-site emergency responders welcome offers of aid, especially money,
but say it’s important for people to understand how they can best help.
“Each event is different," explains Pat McCrummen, a spokesman for die
American Red Cross. "In the hours right after a flood, hurricane or tornado, our first
responders need to work through the immediate crisis and evaluate what will be
needed as the community moves forward.”
Well-intentioned people may show up or start collecting food or clothing without
realizing that volunteers require direction and donations of material goods have to
be managed.
How to help
If a crisis occurs, your best plan is to sit tight temporarily. "No one would ever
say that volunteers are unwanted,” says Dante Gliniecki, volunteer coordinator for the
Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. "People just need to understand that
it may be a day or two before we will know liow best to put volunteers to work.”
Follow tlie local news for reports of what is needed. Partly because of experience
gained after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, organizations have become quite
sophisticated about using the media and the Internet to let their needs be known.
In Port Charlotte, Fla. (pop. 46,451), an area hard-hit by the 2004 hurricanes, the
community lost all of its power, but volunteers could log on to laptop computers in
a mobile command center parked outside the library. By inputting information such
as location, skills, and hours available, volunteers were sent where their abilities were
most needed.
If you hear about a request for material goods, act right away. If you wait, chances
are that others will have already given, and your donation will no longer be needed.
Also, don't donate clothing that you would be ashamed to wear yourself People who
have lost their homes don’t need die additional indignity of being given someone
else’s raggedy clothes.
If in doubt as to how to volunteer, make a financial donation instead. An effort
is always made to spend money collected for specific disasters with merchants in the
disaster area. This enables emergency responders to purchase exactly what is needed for
a community, and die local economy gets a desperately needed boost in business.
What you can do now
If you’d like to help out during times of crisis, all the experts have the same
advice: Volunteer before something happens. “Get involved early so that you can
receive appropriate training," says Margaret Melsh, director of Ready to Respond
volunteers in the San Francisco Bay area. “Call the Red Cross, the Salvation Army,
or do an Internet search for ’volunteer center,’ specifying your town or county," she
says. “At the volunteer center websites, you’ll find a complete list of the types of areas
where help is needed."
Volunteer Match (wivw.volunteeruuitck.org) has a website that allows you to enter
your zip code and sift through numerous volunteer needs, or call 1-800-VOLUN
TEER or visit www.lßoowiunteer.org for additional possibilities.
Remember, too, that volunteers are needed for a long time after the initial crisis.
“The greatest need for volunteers may not be apparent until weeks after the disaster
when new needs have arisen," says Kristin Buckley, manager of disaster and inter
national initiatives for the Points of Light Foundation in Washington, D.C. About
128,000 people volunteered after hurricanes in Florida last fall, but this help was
spread out over many months.
In addition, there is one final contribution that is always welcome: "Send notes
with words of encouragement for the volunteers onsite," one emergency responder
says. “When you are cleaning out flooded school classrooms filled with mud or help
ing to feed hurricane victims day after day, it really makes the work easier when we
walk past a wall with children’s pictures and personal letters of thanks.”
Kate Kelly, author (/Living Safe in an Unsafe World: The Complete Guide to Family
Preparedness, lives in Lanhmont. N.Y.
American Profile
VWhei
Disaster kelly
Strikes
Page 13
“ttussittS, „
misses’
jM .
Brow®™* 1 ® I*®- 1 *®-
4 '
tI&GAN? f
I
i
' % X j
[fl gwmm Wtm
Mnn lIMI L ■■■| 1111 |||l
v| n\iin uiiii vH w
tfißrU ik
IVllllClall. lua