Volunteers needed to support families affected by continuous disasters
Residents of Northern Arizona are facing an above-normal wildfire season as the climate crisis threatens to upend more communities. The best defense during an emergency is to be prepared and the American Red Cross, Northern Arizona Chapter, advises everyone to get ready now.
While normal significant fire potential is expected for much of the region from April to July, some areas of above normal significant fire potential are expected across both the southeast and eastern sections of the area during the rest of the spring.
“Today, the Red Cross is responding to more large disasters — almost twice as many — than we did a decade ago,” said Edgar R. Olivo, CEO of the Red Cross Arizona New Mexico Region. “This growing need for help means we need more volunteers trained and ready to support families facing their darkest moments. Plus, it’s critical for community members to make an emergency plan now.”
The number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. has increased 85% in just the last decade as disasters grow in frequency and intensity. People across the country are feeling the impact as an estimated 2.5 million were forced from their homes by weather-related disasters in 2023 — with more than a third displaced for longer than a month.
Comprising 90% of the Red Cross workforce, volunteers are continuously providing shelter, comfort, hot meals, health services, and recovery support to families in need across the country. Just in 2023, the Red Cross Northern Arizona Chapter assisted over 1,000 families after local home fires.
VOLUNTEER TODAY
The Red Cross is seeking new volunteers who are team-oriented and want to make an immediate difference. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up. Free online training will be provided, and there is a critical need for these positions:
* Local Disaster Action Team volunteers help families in need by providing food, lodging, comfort, recovery assistance and other support.
* Shelter Services volunteers support the day-to-day activities in an emergency shelter for those forced from their homes by disasters.
As a Disaster Health or Mental Health Services volunteer, you can use your professional skills as a licensed healthcare provider to deliver hands-on care to people in shelters.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
With the increasing risk of climate-driven disasters, help keep your family safe by getting prepared today.
* Build an emergency kit with bottled water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and battery-powered radio. Also include medications, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers and emergency contact information.
* Make an evacuation plan with what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and if you must evacuate. Make sure to coordinate with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans — and don’t forget your pets.
* Know how to stay informed by finding out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.
o Check on your neighbors – community resilience to disaster response starts with knowing your neighbors.
Plus, download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and more safety tips. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.
