If anyone is interested..

[C.Ann]

there was an announcement on one of the news stations a short while ago that the Red Cross needs to recruit 40,000 new volunteers immediately..

If you're interested and would like to do something constructive to help with the relief effort, call your local chapter for further info..

 

[mom2boys]

Red Cross was running radio ads around here stating that they had waived their normal requirement that you be trained prior to a disaster. However, they were very clear that they wanted physically fit volunteers.

 

[C.Ann]

Red Cross was running radio ads around here stating that they had waived their normal requirement that you be trained prior to a disaster. However, they were very clear that they wanted physically fit volunteers.

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Training will be provided.. Some will be sent to the Gulf Coast and others will remain in their own local areas where shelters have been set up; where office workers are needed; etc.. People traveling to the Gulf Coast will definitely need to be physically fit and will need innoculations before they go.. Each volunteer sent to the Gulf will be there for 3 weeks and then rotated out.. They are saying this need will go on for months and months - just for Hurricane Katrina..

Forgot to add that this plea was made live on tv from one of the head officials at Red Cross this afternoon.. They may have changed some of the requirements due to the severe shortage they have right now..

 

[Earstou]

I spent Thursday and Saturday registering new volunteers for our local Red Cross because our community was expecting about 1500 evacuees. I'm a new volunteer (as of Thursday) and will have my training Tuesday! In our area, the requirement for training BEFORE working was waived, but we still had to sign up for training next week.
I don't know how many new volunteers have signed up, but we had two boxes filled with applications!
Unfortunately, we now will NOT have large numbers of evacuees, and our shelter was taken down today.