Local Red Cross
Volunteers Head East
to Manage West
Orange Shelter
Red Cross Disaster
Volunteers
Newton,
NJ–December 27, 2010
- Six Red Cross
Volunteers from the
Sussex County
Chapter of the
American Red Crossl
spent Monday evening
housing local
residents at an
American Red Cross
Shelter at West
Orange High School.
“Most of the 200
residents staying in
the shelter were
stranded motorists
who waited out the
severe snow storm in
a warm and safe
place, said Sherri
Clain, Volunteer
Emergency Services
Director at the
Sussex County
Chapter. Even with
the storm passed,
these folks have to
figure out where
their cars have been
towed - a situation
compounded by road
closures in that
area of Essex
County.
Red Cross Disaster
Response Volunteers:
Deb Haff, Robert
Ford and Arlene
Blaum car pooled in
one car while Barb Vandenbergh,
Jackie Cascio and
Margaret McGinley
drove in another.
These volunteers
operated the shelter
from 6:00 p.m.
Monday through 6:00
a.m. Tuesday
morning.
Clain wanted to help
out at the West
Orange Red Cross
Shelter, but knew it
was best for Sussex
County residents she
stay at the chapter
to coordinate any
relief efforts that
may be necessary in
Sussex County. In
fact, Red Cross
Volunteers in Sussex
County have been on
stand-by since
Sunday morning
awaiting
notification of the
need for Red Cross
services. Executive
Director, Pat Day,
said, “The service
of our volunteers is
vital to the
community when
conditions such as
this occur, and
having local
volunteers trained
and ready to act
when situations like
this happen is
imperative for the
community and our
chapter ”, Day
added, “We are
fortunate to have
such a dedicated
staff of
volunteers”.
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. The
American Red Cross
shelters, feeds and
provides emotional
support to victims
of disasters;
supplies nearly half
of the nation's
blood; teaches
lifesaving skills;
provides
international
humanitarian aid;
and supports
military members and
their families. The
Red Cross is a
charitable
organization — not a
government agency —
and depends on
volunteers and the
generosity of the
American public to
perform its mission.
