RED CROSS PREPARES FOR NEXT DISASTER : EMERGENCY VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR 8 CITIES IN VENTURA COUNTY.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer While Mother Nature is giving the area a breather, the American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. of Ventura County is aggressively recruiting more volunteers to work in disasters. The recruiting comes when trainers have time to prepare volunteers for the next emergency, explained Richard Rink, director of disaster services for the American Red Cross of Ventura County. Free of major local disasters for 1-1/2 years, ``we will be using this time to prepare volunteers so we may be able to respond quickly and appropriately when the next disaster happens,'' Rink explained. Free training courses are offered in eight cities throughout Ventura County. Classes will help build each city's disaster action team, which responds if a community is isolated from other parts of the county during a major disaster, Rink said. Action team volunteers respond to emergency needs for food, clothing and shelter until help arrives from outside sources. Bill Lawrence The name Bill Lawrence may refer to:
``This is for anyone who's ever seen any kind of a disaster on television and sat there and thought I wish there was something I could do,'' Lawrence said. ``They're already halfway to being a volunteer. All they have to do is take that extra step to do something. No matter how small that something may be to them, it will make a big difference in somebody else's life.'' All Red Cross volunteers will receive training for duties such as running shelters and coordinating food distribution. Individuals can invest as much volunteer time as they choose - from one hour a week on local emergencies to several weeks at a stretch on national assignments. Volunteers have been as young as 18 and as old as 90. Some are retired, and some are temporarily unemployed. Others work in a variety of settings, including gas stations, law offices, medical offices and computer companies. Once they are trained, volunteers provide free help to victims of fires, train derailments, floods, landslides, earthquakes and other disasters. Volunteers help run shelters and administer grants for long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. needs, such as clothing, food and housing. Volunteers also may be assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. to catastrophes across the globe. Teams from the area helped after floods in Orange County, tornadoes in Louisiana, Hurricane Marilyn Hurricane Marilyn was the fifteenth tropical depression and thirteenth named storm of the unusually busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Luis. Hurricane Marilyn was the worst storm to hit the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989. on the island of St. Thomas, and Hurricane Opal Hurricane Opal was a major hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1995. [1] Opal was the 9th hurricane of the abnormally active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. in Alabama. Rink stressed that volunteers are key to the survival of the Red Cross. The Ventura County chapter has nine paid staff members who coordinate efforts of more than 3,000 volunteers. ``This is the American people's way of neighbor helping neighbors,'' Rink said. Lawrence, who has a full-time job, said his volunteerism vol·un·teer·ism n. Use of or reliance on volunteers, especially to perform social or educational work in communities. volunteerism in the past 16 years has cut into his schedule from time to time - but by his own choice. The Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. resident has sometimes used his job vacation time to respond to those in need. He believes it's worth it. ``I'm making a difference in somebody's life,'' he said. HOW TO HELP The American Red Cross is offering free disaster classes and training in Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo and the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by . Topics include serving the diverse community, administering small disasters, damage assessment and emergency assistance to families. For a training schedule, locations and meeting dates, call the Ventura County chapter at (805) 339-2234 or the East Valley District office, (805) 582-8630. CAPTION(S): Box Box: HOW TO HELP (see text) |
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