11 Regional Red Cross volunteers deployed to assist in flooding relief
Thursday, June 30- After hearing about the severe flooding in West
Virginia, Charlene Hanson of Niagara Falls jumped on the opportunity to help
those in desperate need. With almost no time to prepare, she scheduled her two-week
journey to West Virginia without hesitation. Out of the 11 regional volunteers
currently deployed to West Virginia, Charlene’s expertise is in Health
Services. As a registered nurse for about 50 years and an active Red Cross
volunteer, Charlene has a passion for helping others. So much so that this is
one of Charlene’s many deployments, including assisting residents affected by
Hurricane Sandy, 9/11, and several other disasters across the United States.
Charlene explained, “Every disaster is different and
unique in its own way.” She anticipates that West Virginia’s distinction is that
there has already been over 20 reported fatalities. That being said, her Health
Services expertise will highlight spiritual and mental well-being. Charlene
continued, “Everyone lost something, some lost a loved one, some lost a home. People are going to be extremely sad and angry.”
During Charlene’s two-week deployment, she plans to work 12 hour days in one of
the many shelters. Together, Charlene and a team of volunteers will dedicate each day to aiding West Virginia residents
back to health, whether it be physically or mentally. As each volunteer brings their own "piece of knowledge," the team will be able to effectively work together to provide hope during such a tragic time.
As Charlene stated, “A little support goes a long way.”
Those who would like to help the Red Cross
support people affected by disasters can make a donation to Red Cross Disaster
Relief. People can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or
texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. These donations allow
the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters
big and small.
-Grace Carnall, Communications Intern
American Red Cross, WNY Chapter
