In Houston 55% of the area is still without power!! That includes businesses so lots of gas stations and food stores are still closed. People in shelters are being encouraged to stay there until more of the power is restored. Red Cross volunteers are still needed as far away as Dallas and new volunteers are needed to replace those who are getting tired or who need to return to work.
I am sure a lot of people are like me and assume that they can just volunteer in case of a disaster in their area. It is not quite that simple.
Before you can volunteer in a Red Cross shelter, you must have a background check. This is to keep out sexual predators and violent offenders.
You must also attend several Red Cross classes. I took an all-day Shelter Bootcamp which included the classes "Volunteer Orientation", "Fulfilling Our Mission", "Shelter Operations", and "Mass Care Overview". There are several more classes that I want to take - including how to register people and how to be a shelter manager.
Google and look for "Red Cross" "Volunteer Registration Application" in your area to get started.
There are shelter jobs for people who can not be on their feet a lot as well as jobs for people who can. There is a great need for medical personnel and for people who can work the 11pm to 7am shift in shelters. In Texas there is a great need for people who can speak Spanish.
The number one skill needed by all volunteers is patience. Some "clients" (shelter occupants) are understandably upset and some jobs are necessary, but boring.
As a new volunteer you supplement a crew of experienced Red Cross people. If necessary, the Red Cross flies in crews of experienced people. Those folks stay in hotels for 2 weeks working on 12-hr shifts.
There is plenty of security in the shelters. Where I worked there were police, Texas Guard, and DISD personnel (the latter only on school property). The worst problem I saw was getting kids to keep their shoes on and making folks wait until all were served before getting seconds.
Larger shelters may even have small grocery stores, pharmacies, and mini-hospitals. Red Cross volunteers do not work in the latter two.
There are bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere and people are encouraged to use them. It is a requirement before getting a meal and in larger shelters there are even people stationed outside restrooms to squirt the stuff in people's hands when they come out.
Unfortunately even hand sanitizer won't get all the bugs. One of my fellow Red Cross workers had a cough and I got it, too. Mine escalated to a version with fever and chest congestion, so after working four days I am back home for a while.
Sample tasks at a shelter:
- registration and issuing ID wristbands (anklebands for babies)
- alphabetizing registration forms
- computer entry of registration info
- setting up cots
- issuing blankets/towels
- handing out diapers/formula
- check-in or check-out (for people who are leaving the shelter for a short time - e.g. smoke breaks)
- permanent check-out (very important for keeping track of the number of people in the shelter)
- serving food (3 meals and 2 snacks)
- monitors to keep food out of sleeping areas
- transporting wheelchair patients
- bathroom "monitors" - just squirt sanitizer in hands as people leave
- teachers for school children
- monitors for children's play areas
- entering computerized FEMA applications
Other sample jobs:
- Delivering supplies and meals to shelters
- Sanitizing cots