American Red Cross
Mid-Missouri Chapter
1805 West Worley St.
Columbia, MO 65203
573-445-9411 (phone)
800-359-8829
573-446-4247 (fax)

 


Red Cross organizing Chariton County volunteer team for disaster relief

August 23, 2007 -- The Mid-Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross is taking steps this fall to help residents of Chariton County become “Red Cross Ready” during times of local and regional disasters.

The goal: to train people in Chariton County who will become registered Red Cross volunteers, capable of providing official Red Cross assistance and relief to residents in the region when needed. For example, these Red Cross volunteers would assist after disasters ranging from single family fires to floods, tornadoes and the like.

To help achieve that goal, on Monday, August 27 at 7 pm, the Mid-Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross will have an initial orientation meeting for prospective Red Cross volunteers. The meeting is free and will be held at the Chariton County Circuit Courtroom, located at 306 S. Cherry Street in Keytesville. 

The Mid-Missouri Chapter has received a grant from the Dred and Lula Finnell Trust Fund in Keytesville to help establish a Disaster Action Team in Keytesville.  The Chapter is also recruiting members from other communities in Chariton County to establish DAT teams in their towns within the seven counties served by the Mid-Missouri Chapter.

This initial orientation meeting in Keytesville is also a question-and-answer session, during which leaders from the Mid-Missouri Chapter will help residents find out more about what Red Cross volunteers do during small-scale and large-scale disasters. People who attend this orientation session will also receive more detailed information about a series of Red Cross training sessions that will begin later this fall in Keytesville.

Volunteers who successfully complete the series of disaster relief training sessions this fall will become Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) members in Chariton County. The training in Chariton County is partially funded by a grant from a generous Keytesville organization. 
 
Disaster Action Teams (DAT) assists victims of disasters and emergency services workers at a disaster scene.  For example, DAT volunteers provide emergency food, shelter or clothing to victims of fires, tornadoes and floods. During large-scale disasters, DAT volunteers also provide food and drinks to emergency personnel or volunteer crews responding to the disaster. In short, the Red Cross DAT volunteers are trained to be on-site and ready to help when disasters strike. 

The Red Cross trains volunteer teams and individuals who are available to assist in emergency situations 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  If a family loses their home to a fire, tornado, flood or other disaster, the Red Cross is there to make sure they have a safe place to stay, and if needed, food and clothing.  If it is a large event, a temporary shelter may be opened for housing purposes.

DAT volunteers are trained free-of-charge by the Red Cross, and are supplied with materials to provide services to their fellow community members.

Likewise, the Red Cross of Mid-Missouri will also be working further with other organized groups in the region (such as church groups, civic clubs, etc) who are interested in partnering with the Red Cross during disasters. For example, the Red Cross often partners with other organizations when providing large-scale shelters, emergency feeding operations, and the like. Individuals representing these groups are also welcome to attend this orientation session on August 27.

For more information and to register for the August 27 orientation session in Keytesville, please contact Gayle Stanley, Emergency Services Director for the Mid-Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross, at 573-445-9411 or toll-free at 1-800-359-8829.

For more information:
On the Web: www.redcross-midmo.org
Via Phone: (573) 445-9411 or toll-free (800) 359-8829

 
# # # #


The Mid-Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross serves the residents of 7 mid-Missouri counties: Boone, Carroll, Chariton, Cooper, Howard, Randolph and Saline.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.