by Vicky Martinez
Staff Writer
As the nation’s foremost emergency service organization, the American Red Cross is constantly looking for volunteers interested in joining its disaster Action Team in providing relief to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies.
The American Red Cross is an independent, not-for-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to improve the quality of human life; to enhance self-reliance and concern for others; and to help avoid, prepare for and cope with emergencies.
Each year, the Red Cross staff, both paid and volunteer, respond to more than 50,000 disasters, helping hundreds of thousands of people by providing food, clothing, shelter and other emergency needs.
Other services the Red Cross provides include, repairing or rebuilding homes and referring families for financial assistance from the government and other organizations. It also serves as liaison with other organizations and agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
According to Ralph Ogata, director of emergency service at the Pomona Valley Chapter, volunteering helps the community and ourselves. “You can help the community by joining the Red Cross disaster services, teaching earthquakes safety or by being a part of the Red Cross is just one of them,” Ogata said.
The first step to become a volunteer to have the desire to serve others.
“The Red Cross is the best disaster response organization in the world. I think we make very good use of donated founds, [because] 90 percent of it goes into direct assistants to the disaster victims,” Ogata said. He said that volunteers’ time, money and blood donations make Red Cross’ success possible, since the volunteers come from the community that it serves.
Sophomore Christopher Arbizu, 19, has been a volunteer several times and said that there is not a paid job that gives him more satisfaction. He went to Tijuana, Mexico, last semester with the Campus Ministry team to feed hungry children and women.
In another volunteer assignment in Kansas, Arbizu helped with the disasters caused by the tornadoes. “I went from September 11th to 18th even though I knew I was going to miss the first week of school,” Arbizu said.
The Red Cross has a large amount of positions available, and training is free.
“If you want to be part of the Red Cross, just call your local Red Cross Chapter and you can even make a career serving others,” Ogata said.
