County Residents Wanted for Red Cross Disaster Action Teams!
You can make a Difference

Red Cross Disaster Volunteers Before Providing Assistance at a Shelter
(L to R:  Jackie Cascio, Sandy Coulby, Barb Vandenbergh, Alan Breach, Ricky Gunter, Roger Gengaro)
(Front: Jim Rich)

Newton, NJ August 19, 2010 – Five years have passed since Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma made landfall on the Gulf Coast, devastating the lives of thousands of families and individuals.  For five years, the American Red Cross stood with these families and communities as they recovered. It reminds us that everyone must do his or her part to get homes, businesses, schools and communities ready, and your American Red Cross is equipped with the talent and resources to help.  This fifth anniversary of these events is a reminder that the unthinkable can and does happen. 

Disasters can happen anywhere at anytime. Thanks to the assistance of incredible volunteers within the community the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross is able to provide disaster relief services throughout the community, responding to single or multi-family home fires, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters. Volunteer Disaster Action Team Coordinator, Jim Rich explained, “Community in Red Cross terms is applicable on many levels - disasters in our local town, parts of Sussex County, our northern NJ region, NJ, and even nationally. It takes a concerted effort, but the Red Cross provides the opportunity to deliver disaster services at every level of the community--local or otherwise”.

Jim Rich has been a resident of Hopatcong since 1978, and began volunteering with the Red Cross when he felt compelled to make a difference in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He contacted the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross and within two weeks, Jim had been oriented, trained and deployed to Mississippi. He saw firsthand the devastating effects of the hurricane on the people of Mississippi and Alabama.

Jim continued to volunteer following his return from the Gulf States. A short while later, he was asked to assume a leadership position supporting the chapter’s Disaster Action Teams (DAT).  Over time, Jim grew the DAT from three teams to five that volunteer on a rotating basis. Jim  found, “great satisfaction” out of using his life-acquired skills in the commercial/industrial insurance field which he uses to manage the DAT & DA (disaster assessment) teams, work on disaster services and be part of an organization that delivers those services to people in need at their greatest time of need. Rich said, “There is a lot of satisfaction from developing volunteers to take on whatever disasters come our way.  Most importantly, there are a lot of great people in the Red Cross, and the ultimate satisfaction is being able to work with them to deliver disaster relief services.”

Another dedicated volunteer, Sherry Clain, came to the Red Cross after 9/11 and began her volunteer career with the chapter by answering phones and helping around the office. She decided to take advantage of the free disaster training classes for volunteers and quickly rose to serve as  the Volunteer Chair of Emergency Services. Clain responds to calls within the county and often provides support to the Northern New Jersey Chapter. She said she finds her experience with the Red Cross to be “energizing and rewarding” adding “even when I respond to a sad disaster call I feel of sense of satisfaction knowing that the immediate emergency needs of a family experiencing a disaster have been provided, and that the family is all together with a safe place to sleep.” Clain also said that on every call she responds to she has always gotten more back than she feels she’s given, explaining that until you’ve responded to a call you just might not ‘get it’!”

Volunteer Coordinator, Lauri Gill said “volunteers at our chapter come from all walks of life; business people, youth, community leaders, adults of all ages – they all come with different life experiences and they all just want to be able to contribute to their community in a meaningful way”.  She added that the Chapter is currently enlarging its base of disaster relief volunteers and is offering training sessions this fall to prepare new volunteers for disaster response so they are ready to support their community members during  times of disaster. Volunteers are needed from all 24 municipalities to help the chapter respond to local disasters.

In the past five years, the Red Cross expanded the number of trained disaster volunteers across the country from 25,000 to nearly 95,000, including nearly 50,000 available to travel to disasters around the country. The organization also created tools for the public to use during a disaster, including a National Shelter System accessible online, and a “Safe and Well” website to reconnect families during disasters, including through social media. 

 “Red Cross volunteers who are ready and trained to assist those in need during emergencies are vital to provide the resources needed to victims of local disasters” said Resource Development Manager, MaryAnn Maikisch who explained that the process of becoming a volunteer includes completing an application and a brief interview, a criminal background check, and attendance at a one-hour orientation meeting. “It may sound like a lot but it’s a quick and easy process” said Maikisch. To learn more about volunteering opportunities with the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross, visit www.sussexredcross.org or call 973-579-1600.