Red Cross Needs Volunteers to Respond to Natural Disasters

The Red Cross is desperately seeking volunteers for the remainder of the year due to the “historic and unprecedented” number of disasters, according to a spokesperson for the organization.

The nonprofit has sent 100 Minnesota residents to volunteer at disaster scenes from Hurricane Laura on the Gulf Coast to the remnants of the derecho that wreaked havoc in eastern Iowa.

Also, 68 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources workers have been deployed to fight the West Coast wildfires. Twenty-seven firefighters from Minnesota have also gone to California and Oregon.

Anyone volunteering with the Red Cross must commit to a two-week deployment and get virtual training. Once they've passed background and health checks, volunteers often work at hotels that are used as shelters for families who've lost their homes.

The Red Cross is also looking for licensed health professionals to volunteer to deliver health care and mental health service assessments.

Anyone looking to sign up can visit redcross.org or send an email to [email protected].

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