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Local Red Cross Volunteers Help Prepare For Hurricane Sandy; More Volunteers Needed

The local American Red Cross is sending volunteers and an Emergency Response Vehicle to help prepare for Hurricane Sandy.

The Red Cross is recruiting more volunteers to deploy to area to help.

To volunteer, you’ll need to take a class at the Red Cross this week.

Kevin Kirby, executive director of the Midland Empire Chapter, says people wishing to take the training must be in good health with no medical issues, complete a background check and be willing to deploy for a two to three week assignment.

A class will be held on Wednesday, October 31st from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the American Red Cross building, 401 N. 12th Street.  The class will be repeated on Thursday, November 1st from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the same location.  Please call to register for the one of the classes  at (816) 232-8439.

Kirby says additional classes will be held the following week as needed.

The one day training is required for volunteers to deploy and the class covers an introduction to disaster services and shelter operations.  Volunteers that deploy to help maybe in situations without electrical power, sleeping in shelters on the floor or cots and working long hours.

Hurricane Sandy is barreling toward the East Coast and the American Red Cross is launching a national response to help the millions of people who may be in the path of the storm.

Local volunteers were scheduled to leave on Monday. Joe Sorrento, St. Joseph, is going to Princeton, New Jersey to set up the mass care feeding operation. Robert Gergeni, St. Joseph, and William King, Stewartville, will be going to Albany, New York and operate evacuation shelters in the state of New York. Shoba Brown, Maryville, and Judy Crane, Hopkins, will be driving an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) across country from St. Joseph. The ERV will support feeding operations in shelters and neighborhoods and be used to distribute food and emergency supplies.

Red Cross chapters throughout the potentially affected areas are mobilizing hundreds of disaster workers, readying shelters and coordinating response efforts with community partners. Red Cross workers are finalizing preparations in advance of opening shelters as early as Sunday afternoon if needed. Relief supplies like cots, blankets, ready-to-eat meals and snacks are being moved into place to support sheltering efforts.

HOW TO HELP–To help people affected by disasters like this, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

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