The American Red Cross is the major leagues of voluntary service. Never before have I seen the organizational capacity or had to overcome as many hurdles. If you are interested in voluntary service and do not where to start, I recommend the Red Cross. But be advised; there are interviews, background checks, and four-hour orientations for you to contend with.
This is the story of my orientation.
I arrived a bit late. The conductor said that due to an earlier incident the trains were running slower. I didn’t realize when I left the train how far west the building was. It’s practically a median in the West Side Highway. I had to check in with the security desk first. I was directed to a presentation room B that was directly behind the security desk. Once I arrived there I had to check in and schedule a time for my interview.
I entered an auditorium that had eight 25 to 30 foot long gray tables. Behind these tables sat about 8 prospective volunteers per table. In front of them were two large projection screens with a speaker wedged into the middle. The speaker used a remote to go through the slides of a Powerpoint presentation that was spliced with a few videos. When he was finished he handed the remote baton to the second speaker.
Here are a few notes I scrawled:
Shelters-
Not luxury accommodations
3 hots and a cot
Service animals are allowed
Pets are not allowed (safety and sanitation reasons)
NYC
One of 6 catastrophic risk zones
Everyday the Greater NYC chapter responds to 8-10 emergencies mostly fires
NYC is in danger of every natural disaster except volcanoes
In the event of a major catastrophic disaster (such as another Hurricane Katrina) The chapter anticipates that it would need 10,000 volunteers. It currently has around 7400
The chapter has only 143 employees
History
Mission Statement-Relieve human suffering on a global scale
Clara Barton started the American Red Cross after returning from overseas. She made a name for herself as a nurse during the Civil War
Right after its inception the ARC had to deal with a forest fire in Michigan, the Johnstown Flood
The first international relief by the ARC was the Russian Famine
Man in the Subway
