Volunteers work to prepare and respond to Tropical Storms Laura and Marco.
As Tropical Storms Laura and Marco hit the Gulf Coast beginning today, the American Red Cross has pre-positioned relief supplies and more than 400 trained disaster workers are standing by to provide emergency shelter to those in need.
The American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming has disaster responders on their way to the gulf coast, volunteers deploying virtually and even more volunteers on standby to leave at a moment’s notice to provide support before, during and after the storm. Some of the volunteer have deployed to serve as Strike team members. This special disaster response team has been extensively trained to keep those we serve, the partners we work with and our workforce safe while providing disaster relief during COVID-19.
The Red Cross has developed new policies to align with CDC safety recommendations and has created a series of virtual trainings and materials to ensure our disaster responders are aware of the changes and prepared to respond to disasters. Ensuring people have a safe place to stay during a disaster is a critical part of the Red Cross mission, but how we support sheltering efforts during the pandemic may be different in each community, depending on local emergency operations plans.
Our physical presence may not look the same as it did before the pandemic but rest assured that we are still providing comfort and support to anyone in need after a disaster. During this pandemic, while the nation is practicing social distancing, we’re now providing some disaster relief virtually, including mental health support and financial assistance.
Thomas Bethke – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team. As such, he will be providing a safe and secure place for individuals and families to stay during and after the storm.
Linda Bullock – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Katherine Coffey – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Peter Dunn – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Karen Campanella-Green – a volunteer from the Northern Colorado chapter, will deploy to Louisiana as a member of the mental health services team. As such, she will provide mental health support to people in need following a disaster.
Dana Goldsmith – an employee from the Mile High chapter will virtually deploy to Texas as a member of the Staff Services team.
Bontiea Goss – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Tom Hobbs – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter will deploy to Texas as a member of the Feeding team.
Brandon Hunnicutt – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter, will deploy to Louisiana as a member of the technology networking team.
Loni Koller – a volunteer from the Mile High Chapter, will virtually deploy to Texas as a member of the Disability Integration team.
Darlene Moore – a volunteer from the Northern Colorado chapter will deploy to Texas as a member of the Damage Assessment team.
Robert Munson – a volunteer from the Southeastern Colorado chapter, will deploy to Louisiana as a member of the health services team. As such, he will provide health support to people in need following disaster.
Scott Murphy – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Sylvia Raumaker – a volunteer from the Wyoming chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
William Schmidt – a volunteer from the Mile High chapter strike team, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
Christopher Wood – a volunteer from the Western Colorado chapter, will deploy to Texas as a member of the Sheltering team.
A typical deployment for a Red Cross disaster responder is 14 to 21 days. During that time, the responders will focus on the specific needs of those affected by the disaster as they move toward recovery.