NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The American Red Cross South Central and Southeast Kansas Chapter needs your help in 2023 and asks that you to consider making a New Year’s resolution to become a volunteer.
"Each year nationally, we respond to over 60,000 disasters," said Shannon Wedge with the American Red Cross. "Many times, it's the tornadoes and the hurricanes and the floods, on the east coast, west coast, wherever, that make the headlines, but it's those single family fires that don't make the headlines many times. That's truly what we are responding to."
Disaster Action Team members sign up for on-call shifts as part of a team to help provide 24-hour emergency response to local disasters, ensuring that your neighbors have access to resources for necessities such food, shelter and clothing. There are acute needs in the Kingman area, Kingman County and Hutchinson.
"Just this last fiscal year, we responded in Kansas to over 800 disasters," Wedge said. "Most of those were home fires. We also had a couple of larger scale disasters, the Andover/East Wichita tornado, you also had wildfires here in Reno County. We actually were partnering with many of the agencies here in Reno County to provide comfort and care to those individuals, as well."
Blood Donor Ambassadors engage with blood donors at blood drives by greeting, registering, answering questions, providing information and supporting them through the recovery process at the refreshments table. The highest need is in Wichita and Hutchinson.
"We are a very volunteer driven agency," Wedge said. "90% of our workforce is comprised of volunteers. We always need people to come out and volunteer. We need responders here in Reno County and throughout the state and the country that will go on scene to provide that comfort and care."
Training is free, but the hope you provide as a Red Cross volunteer can't be calculated. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to get started.
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