When disaster strikes a community, the American Red Cross relies on volunteers to help with recovery. Currently, there's a need for more people to do that work, according to Regional Communications Director Marita Salkowski.
"It's not just a replacement of any volunteers that may have gone away during COVID, but the fact is we're responding to more and more disasters," she says. "And we need to make sure we have the resources back here at home."
Salkowski says they need people who can travel, and those who want to help out with local recovery efforts.
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"You're partnered up and you respond to those house fires. Sometimes it's in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's on the weekend," she says. "You're going and you're meeting with the clients who have just lost everything. You're offering them financial assistance. You're making sure they have a place to stay. You're making sure they have something to eat."
There are virtual information sessions, so potential volunteers can see if the job is right for them. The first one was Thursday night. There are two more scheduled for Sept. 13 and Nov. 11.
