Needs From: United Way Muscatine County

If you live in or near the Quad Cities, our Disaster Shelter Team needs your help to offer safe, healthy evacuation or emergency shelters for people in our area who are impacted by fires, flooding, tornadoes or other disasters.  When people are displaced from their homes in an emergency, the American Red Cross offers comfort, food, lodging assistance and individual recovery casework to help them get back on their feet.  In the immediate aftermath of a large disaster, we need to be able to quickly open shelters to provide a safe place for these people.  We are required to have at least one Disaster Health Service Associate on hand at each of these shelters to ensure the well-being of residents, volunteers, and other staff members.  This is where your qualifications in the health professions comes in.  Disaster Health Service Associates make sure that everyone has access to their medications and durable medical equipment (or that they can get them replaced), as many people may have to leave these important items behind in an emergency evacuation.  These associates also make sure that anyone who is too sick to be in the shelter or who has a communicable illness, is sent to an appropriate medical facility.  There's very little direct clinical care done at the shelter, but with your knowledge and training, you would be able to make triage decisions.  You're also on hand in case someone has a medical emergency, and your inherent compassion will provide much comfort to people who are under incredible stress. IF THIS OPPORTUNITY APPEALS TO YOU, please contact us today by indicating your interest here, or by texting Connie at 309-207-5266.  Let's discuss it further and see if this is a good fit for you! Professional qualifications are required for this important volunteer position.  If you have a CURRENT, unencumbered license as one of the following, you could become a Disaster Health Service Associate or Supervisor:Registered Nurse (RN) Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)* Paramedic* Medical Doctor (MD) Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)

If disaster strikes in Muscatine County and individuals and families find themselves in need of a safe place to stay, you will provide them shelter, food and most importantly, comfort through the crisis until they can get back home or start rebuilding.  The Red Cross offers extensive free training and support to make sure you are ready to help in a time of need.  If the disaster is larger, we will send more helpers to work alongside with you! People who are fully qualified to volunteer in local shelters can also choose to deploy to larger national disasters if they're interested.  All travel expenses are covered by the American Red Cross.  

The Red Cross currently requires all volunteers who will be performing in-person work to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.  Shelters are always operated in person. 

The location?  The nearest local partner in Muscatine who has generously offered their church, school, or other facility as an emergency shelter.  It may even be where you worship or where your kids go to school.  

To learn more or get started on your application and training, please contact Connie at 309-207-5266 or email connie.dudgeon@redcross.org.  

 

The American Red Cross responds to home fires across the country every day, and we have responded to multiple fires in Muscatine County in the last six months.  When a tragic home fire happens, the fire department is the first responder:  they come to deal with the fire.  They are there to save your life and try to save your home.  The American Red Cross and our local partners are the second responders:  we respond to YOU.  We are there to comfort you, make sure you have a safe place to sleep, get you through the immediate crisis and then we continue to provide ongoing resources and aid as you rebuild your life.  The local home fire response team, also called the Disaster Action Team, is made up of 2-3 local volunteers who respond to the call when a fire is reported to the Red Cross.  This could happen at any time.  We provide free online training and support and we have a network of other volunteers to help each other.  The more volunteers are available in Muscatine County, the faster we can respond to a local family in need.  

If you are caring, compassionate, and action-oriented, this is a great volunteer opportunity for you!  You will be the best thing that happens on the worst day of a neighbor's life.  They'll never forget that you showed up to provide help and hope.   

The Red Cross currently requires all volunteers who perform in-person tasks to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.  Our home fire responders show up in person.  However, there are some important support roles that can be performed virtually from your home phone and computer, and we are always grateful for our virtual volunteers too.  So whatever your own vaccination status, if you want to help, let us know!  We'd love to have you join us. 

If you are interested in learning more or ready to apply, please contact Connie at 309-207-5266 or email connie.dudgeon@redcross.org.