The experience of volunteers helping out with hurricane relief efforts in Texas begins with check in at a central work site and assignment of a work station according to Red Cross spokesman Dan Tobin.
“Everybody goes down with a specific task that they’re going to be doing. Sometimes once they get down there, they change that task based on need. When they’re there, the workdays are long. They’re 12 hour workdays so it’s 12 hours on, 12 off. It’s pretty intense for about two or three weeks and then you rotate out. Another crew goes in to replace you.”
Over 2,300 Red Cross volunteers and staff are currently deployed to assist with relief operations including 39 people from Western Pennsylvania and two from Butler County. Additional local volunteers are scheduled to deploy this week.
Not everyone is able to help by being on site so the Red Cross makes it easy for the rest of us to pitch in and help in recovery efforts.
“The easies, the quickest, and the most efficient is to donate money. It gets to where it’s needed and things that are needed can be purchased quickly from the area. So it is always the best way to give. Another two ways to donate would be to donate yourself, your time. Then the third way is to donate blood.”
Visitors to RedCross.org can put in a zip code and find about volunteer opportunities and blood drives.