Red Cross sends local volunteers to Gulf Coast
CHENANGO COUNTY – Before Hurricane Gustav had a chance to make landfall this weekend, the Southern Tier Chapter of the Red Cross had already prepared for the disaster relief work that would follow the storm.
The first two volunteers were sent to the Gulf Coast area last Tuesday, nearly a week before Gustav touched down. “Our first two volunteers left in the Emergency Response Vehicle on Tuesday, and we started deploying more volunteers Thursday,” said Southern Tier Chapter Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Smith Gordineer.
Gordineer explained that often the Red Cross will stage volunteers near areas where they will be needed, but outside of harm’s way. “It’s a guessing game where the storm might end up going and where we’ll be needed,” Gordineer said.
So far, the Southern Tier Chapter has sent 28 volunteers to the Gulf Coast, including two from Chenango County. The volunteers have been sent to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas to set up shelters and aid those who were displaced by the storm. “The Red Cross had 300 shelters in 10 states on Monday night, with 60,000 people in them,” Gordineer said.
While the Red Cross is currently focusing on sheltering, their work does not end there. “Once people start to leave the shelters and go back home, we find that some are still without power or water,” Gordineer said. The volunteers then move from sheltering to mass feeding – taking food door to door – and then to individual case work to help those affected by the storm. “We focus on what people need to really return home,” Gordineer said.
The Red Cross Volunteers deploy for approximately three weeks at a time, and Gordineer explained there is no shortage of disasters. “I started in September of 2004 and we haven’t gone a month without opening a shelter since then. There doesn’t seem to be a down time,” she said. “We have volunteers deployed at least six times a year.”
Deploying volunteers to different disasters is something Gordineer sees as a benefit for the local organization. It keeps the volunteers engaged because they are being utilized. It provides experience for the volunteers so they are better able to handle local disasters. It keeps the volunteers sharp and ready to go, and it provides many with the experience they need to take on leadership roles.
The Red Cross of the Southern Tier sends aid to disasters in the form of volunteers and money. Gordineer was not sure how much money was sent from this region specifically for Gustav, but she said during Hurricane Katrina over $1.4 million in donations were processed from the Southern Tier region. “We have a very generous community,” Gordineer said.
With another large storm expected to hit the eastern seaboard this week, Gordineer said the Red Cross will not be sending any additional volunteers until they determine how the local area will be affected by Hurricane Hanna.
For more information about becoming a Red Cross volunteer or to make a donation visit the web site at www.southerntierredcross.org.
The first two volunteers were sent to the Gulf Coast area last Tuesday, nearly a week before Gustav touched down. “Our first two volunteers left in the Emergency Response Vehicle on Tuesday, and we started deploying more volunteers Thursday,” said Southern Tier Chapter Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Smith Gordineer.
Gordineer explained that often the Red Cross will stage volunteers near areas where they will be needed, but outside of harm’s way. “It’s a guessing game where the storm might end up going and where we’ll be needed,” Gordineer said.
So far, the Southern Tier Chapter has sent 28 volunteers to the Gulf Coast, including two from Chenango County. The volunteers have been sent to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas to set up shelters and aid those who were displaced by the storm. “The Red Cross had 300 shelters in 10 states on Monday night, with 60,000 people in them,” Gordineer said.
While the Red Cross is currently focusing on sheltering, their work does not end there. “Once people start to leave the shelters and go back home, we find that some are still without power or water,” Gordineer said. The volunteers then move from sheltering to mass feeding – taking food door to door – and then to individual case work to help those affected by the storm. “We focus on what people need to really return home,” Gordineer said.
The Red Cross Volunteers deploy for approximately three weeks at a time, and Gordineer explained there is no shortage of disasters. “I started in September of 2004 and we haven’t gone a month without opening a shelter since then. There doesn’t seem to be a down time,” she said. “We have volunteers deployed at least six times a year.”
Deploying volunteers to different disasters is something Gordineer sees as a benefit for the local organization. It keeps the volunteers engaged because they are being utilized. It provides experience for the volunteers so they are better able to handle local disasters. It keeps the volunteers sharp and ready to go, and it provides many with the experience they need to take on leadership roles.
The Red Cross of the Southern Tier sends aid to disasters in the form of volunteers and money. Gordineer was not sure how much money was sent from this region specifically for Gustav, but she said during Hurricane Katrina over $1.4 million in donations were processed from the Southern Tier region. “We have a very generous community,” Gordineer said.
With another large storm expected to hit the eastern seaboard this week, Gordineer said the Red Cross will not be sending any additional volunteers until they determine how the local area will be affected by Hurricane Hanna.
For more information about becoming a Red Cross volunteer or to make a donation visit the web site at www.southerntierredcross.org.
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