The American Red Cross in DeKalb County is looking for volunteers to help provide shelter in the event of disasters that leave people homeless such as fires, floods and tornadoes.
A meeting will be held Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Smithville city hall building downtown in the second floor community room and anyone interested in being a volunteer is urged to attend.
Kathy Nesmith, Executive Director for the American Red Cross, Warren County Chapter which also includes DeKalb County, said individual volunteers are needed as well as church and civic groups. “We want to recruit more volunteers. We’ve already had one meeting here and we’ve recruited five volunteers but we want more. You’ve got to have more volunteers when a disaster happens because there is always the risk of some of those volunteers being affected themselves. So we’re primarily wanting to recruit volunteers but we also want to focus on partnering with churches and church groups. We want to seek out churches and community centers that has a facility that we could use as a shelter during a disaster. You always want to know where your possible shelters are going to be before a disaster happens. You want communication in place. You want an agreement in place,” said Nesmith.
Sandra Wilmore, a Red Cross volunteer, said those who attend the informational meeting are under no obligation to commit. “This is only an informational meeting. Its not a commitment for someone to join. Of course we’d like for them to join. We want to just better serve our community because there’s a saying in the Red Cross, its not IF a disaster happens, its WHEN it happens. Our first focus is sheltering and we are interested in partnering with the churches here and with the community as much as possible. I think also that they (volunteers) will find that the training can be fun. Normally its (training) is only a couple of hours in the evening and sometimes on Saturdays. I’ve been in the Red Cross for several years now and I absolutely love it. They’ve got a lot of good people. They’re very well trained and very knowledgeable and that’s what our focus is all about. Its to educate the public on what the American Red Cross does and that we’re here to serve our community and let them know that help is provided for our communities if there is a disaster that should strike home to us,” said Wilmore.
Nesmith said the Red Cross Chapter has an office in the new county complex on South Congress Boulevard. Again to find out more information on how Red Cross is working in DeKalb County you’re urged to attend the meeting on Thursday, February 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall Building, 2nd floor.
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