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Back in 2006, the region was hit with major flooding that called on many local Red Cross volunteers with as many as six shelters opened at one time.
But, as its executive director points out, there was still other work to do.
“We still had soldiers who needed to get their messages. We still had fires,” said Andria De Lisle-Heath, who heads the local Mohawk Valley chapter. “Things can’t stop. We certainly need all the help they can get.”
Volunteerism has seen a rise over the past year throughout the country. The number of volunteers in the United States rose between September 2008 and September 2009 over the year, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 26.8 percent of the population - nearly 63.4 million people - volunteered for an organization at least once within that year.
Diann Fischer, emergency services coordinator for the local Red Cross chapter, said there was an influx of disaster volunteers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and were ready for the 2006 flooding.
“We had all these recently trained volunteers (because of Hurricane Katrina). We were fortunate that we did have them,” she said.
Currently, the chapter has approximately 140 disaster volunteers between Herkimer County and eastern Oneida County. Fischer said however not all disaster volunteers are available all the time and that more are always needed.
“It is easy to be a disaster volunteer if you have the desire and drive to help people,” said De Lisle-Heath, who heads the American Red Cross of the Mohawk Valley.
The following steps are involved with becoming a Red Cross volunteer.
• Fill out an application.
A two-page application is available online for interested volunteers. Standard documentation and a criminal background check will be done on all applicants.
“We live in a society where people like to be reassured. When people are at their most vulnerable, they like to have that reassurance,” said Fischer, on why the documentation and background check are needed.
A confidentiality agreement and code of conduct also needs to be signed by the applicant and a parent’s or guardian’s signature is needed for applicants younger than 18 years-old. Volunteer applications can be found online at the chapter’s Web site at www.redcrossmv.org.
• Meet with officials.
De Lisle-Heath and Fischer said they hold interviews with the volunteer to see how they can best implement their skills.
“Everybody has a skill, gift, a talent. Our goal is to take the time and see where the skills are best used,” said De Lisle-Heath. She said some volunteers work best behind the scenes, whereas others are best out in front.
• Complete training courses.
A volunteer will need to take the required courses with whichever path they decided to go down. Some classes are required, such as CPR and First-Aid training. Disaster volunteers take 12 hours of training which are broken down into three to six hour classes and includes preparedness for fires, ice storms, mudslides and whatever else may come up. A card is issued to the volunteer once they finish a course.
Fischer said once someone is ready to start volunteering, they determine their availability. Sometimes volunteers, such as teachers, may only be available in the summertime to assist. Volunteers can stay updated about the going-ons of the Red Cross by being put on an e-mail list.
“We invest in our volunteers,” said Fischer. “Their our resources. Ninety percent of our work is volunteer.”
Fischer also said that a volunteer never has to worry about doing the job alone.
“Our policy is to be as a team,” she said.
Back in 2006, the region was hit with major flooding that called on many local Red Cross volunteers with as many as six shelters opened at one time.
But, as its executive director points out, there was still other work to do.
“We still had soldiers who needed to get their messages. We still had fires,” said Andria De Lisle-Heath, who heads the local Mohawk Valley chapter. “Things can’t stop. We certainly need all the help they can get.”
Volunteerism has seen a rise over the past year throughout the country. The number of volunteers in the United States rose between September 2008 and September 2009 over the year, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 26.8 percent of the population - nearly 63.4 million people - volunteered for an organization at least once within that year.
Diann Fischer, emergency services coordinator for the local Red Cross chapter, said there was an influx of disaster volunteers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and were ready for the 2006 flooding.
“We had all these recently trained volunteers (because of Hurricane Katrina). We were fortunate that we did have them,” she said.
Currently, the chapter has approximately 140 disaster volunteers between Herkimer County and eastern Oneida County. Fischer said however not all disaster volunteers are available all the time and that more are always needed.
“It is easy to be a disaster volunteer if you have the desire and drive to help people,” said De Lisle-Heath, who heads the American Red Cross of the Mohawk Valley.
The following steps are involved with becoming a Red Cross volunteer.
• Fill out an application.
A two-page application is available online for interested volunteers. Standard documentation and a criminal background check will be done on all applicants.
“We live in a society where people like to be reassured. When people are at their most vulnerable, they like to have that reassurance,” said Fischer, on why the documentation and background check are needed.
A confidentiality agreement and code of conduct also needs to be signed by the applicant and a parent’s or guardian’s signature is needed for applicants younger than 18 years-old. Volunteer applications can be found online at the chapter’s Web site at www.redcrossmv.org.
• Meet with officials.
De Lisle-Heath and Fischer said they hold interviews with the volunteer to see how they can best implement their skills.
“Everybody has a skill, gift, a talent. Our goal is to take the time and see where the skills are best used,” said De Lisle-Heath. She said some volunteers work best behind the scenes, whereas others are best out in front.
• Complete training courses.
A volunteer will need to take the required courses with whichever path they decided to go down. Some classes are required, such as CPR and First-Aid training. Disaster volunteers take 12 hours of training which are broken down into three to six hour classes and includes preparedness for fires, ice storms, mudslides and whatever else may come up. A card is issued to the volunteer once they finish a course.
Fischer said once someone is ready to start volunteering, they determine their availability. Sometimes volunteers, such as teachers, may only be available in the summertime to assist. Volunteers can stay updated about the going-ons of the Red Cross by being put on an e-mail list.
“We invest in our volunteers,” said Fischer. “Their our resources. Ninety percent of our work is volunteer.”
Fischer also said that a volunteer never has to worry about doing the job alone.
“Our policy is to be as a team,” she said.
