The
Knoxville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross helps
a family following a house fire.
All told, 233
families were assisted last year,
and while that in itself is something the local Red Cross
and its volunteers are proud of, it is just the tip of
the iceberg on what the Red Cross does in our community
every day.
The Red Cross prevents, prepares for and responds to
emergencies. “The
Red Cross is always there when disaster happens,”
says Boyd Romines, Knoxville Area Chapter executive director.
“We all have a responsibility to take care of ourselves
and our families as best we can,” he adds.
Clara Barton (1821-1912) founded the American Red Cross.
Although she didn’t originate the Red Cross idea,
she was the first person to establish a lasting Red Cross
Society in American.
She organized the American Association of the Red Cross
in Washington, D.C., in 1881. Created to serve American
in peace and in war, during times of disaster and national
calamity, Barton’s organization took its service
beyond that of the International Red Cross Movement by
adding disaster relief to battlefield assistance.
Today, the American Red Cross has nearly 1 million volunteers
and 35,000 employees. Through some 800 locally supported
chapters, more than 15 million people each year gain the
skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies
in their homes, communities and world.
The Red Cross
isn’t a government agency; it relies on donations
of time and money to do its work.
The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members
separated from their families by military duty to stay
connected. As part of the International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180
national societies, the American Red Cross helps restore
hope and dignity to the world’s most vulnerable
people.
To receive help from the American Red Cross, call the
Knoxville chapter at 584-2999. The 24-hour number rings
to an answering service when the office is not open. A
volunteer and a disaster team are always on call.
The Red Cross can help meet urgent needs such as:
- Shelter
- Clothing and shoes
- Food
- Emergency medication
- Baby supplies
- Personal items and toiletries
- Emotional support
- Help in restoring order to people’s lives.
To donate time to the Red Cross, call 584-2999 and ask
for Volunteer Services. Staff members conduct an interview
and an orientation with volunteers and match their skills
with Red Cross needs. Training depends on the work or
service volunteers want to provide, as well as the amount
of time they have.
Those wishing to be a disaster volunteer need to take
an Introduction
to Disaster Services course. Other courses also are
available, depending on interest. They include:
- Mass Care and Shelter Operations
- Disaster Damage Assessment
- Client Casework
- Logistics of a Disaster Relief Operation
- Public Affairs in Disaster
- Health Services
- Mental Health Services
“We always need more volunteers, as people move,
take and leave full-time employment, and have other situation
changes that compel them to cut back on the time they
can volunteer,” says American Red Cross spokesman
Chris Davis. “Whether you are an introvert or an
extrovert, whether you like working behind a desk or out
in the field, or whether you like paperwork or not, there
is a place and a job for all volunteers at the Red Cross.”
To donate to the Red Cross, visit our secure
donation page or call 865-584-2999. To offer other
resources, call the Red Cross to find out if the Red Cross
office needs them or knows of another local agency that
does.
