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Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2017 — With the effects of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma still adversely affecting tens of thousands in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico and Hurricane Maria now predicted to hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as a Category 5 Storm; the American Red Cross in Europe is stepping in to provide disaster assistance information to hurricane victims and prepare citizens for the next storm. The American Red Cross Europe Division HQ in Sembach, Germany has opened a full service Emergency Casework Center whose mission is to accept overflow calls from the 1-800-REDCROSS toll free number and guide callers to vital disaster assistance and/or share hurricane preparedness information.
“I am so proud of all the military personnel, spouses and DoD civilians who have taken personal leave to help their friends, families and neighbors being impacted by these devastating storms,” said Deanna Swanier, division director for the Service to the Armed Forces European Division of the American Red Cross. “In addition to staffing the Emergency Call Center, we have deployed six staff and four volunteers from Germany and Italy to support efforts in the Disaster Operations Coordination Center in Washington D.C. and on the ground in Houston.”
On average, eight volunteers a night staff the call center answering phones. The calls coming into the center range from disaster victims seeking assistance locating a shelter, to individuals requesting Coast Guard evacuation phone numbers, and potential donors wanting to help. To ensure that the military emergency message verification mission continues without interruption, all Red Cross offices across Europe are focusing on providing Emergency Communication services worldwide; with 20 paid and volunteer staff members extending their duty day until 9 p.m. each night, answering phones and retrieving verifications from medical facilities around the world.
“We are in need of bilingual volunteers, especially those who speak Spanish to serve as case workers at the Sembach Call Center, and Spanish speakers who are willing to deploy for a minimum of two weeks to the hardest hit areas,” said Swanier. “We anticipate the need for responders to last for weeks to come. Please contact us, if you are interested in volunteering with us. We provide necessary equipment and training. You only need to bring your great attitude and some computer skills.”
If you are not assigned to the Kaiserslautern Military Community area and want more information on how you can help locally, or are a Spanish speaker willing and able to deploy as a responder, contact your local Red Cross office or find us on Facebook @americanredcrosseurope.
About the American Red Cross:The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
