Red Cross asks for more volunteers

Sunday, September 11, 2005

The American Red Cross is seeking at least 40,000 more volunteers to replace current relief workers suffering from fatigue.

“This is a disaster of such scope and such significance that it is not going to go away in a few weeks or a few months,” said Ken Degnan, a spokesman for the American Red Cross.

The organization is currently sheltering 116,000 victims. It has 36,000 volunteers in the field and is currently running 675 shelters across the nation.

The reason the recruitment is needed is due to the fact that the 36,000 will begin to rotate as they go home to their families.

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up on their local chapter's website or call and leave their contact information.

From an Atlanta chapter email:

"Please do not go to a Red Cross location without prior scheduling. Only scheduled volunteers will be working at each site. Thank you for your patience in this process. Our trained volunteers and staff are being utilized to respond to families in need and to the thousands of calls coming in from people wanting to help. However, we do appreciate your generous offer and will be in contact based on the current needs."

Sources

"Red Cross call for storm workers" — BBC News, September 11, 2005

"Red Cross seeks 40,000 more volunteers" — Reuters, September 10, 2005

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