Calls are answered
American Red Cross assisting more than 300 displaced by tropical storm
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, the American Red Cross disaster volunteers are helping out more families displaced by Tropical Storm Isaias than any storm since Sandy ravaged the area.
“It’s been almost eight years since we’ve seen a response in this area like this,” noted the organization’s Regional Communications Director Dave Skutnik.
The 300-plus people who have sought lodging, food and emotional support due to devastation wrought by flooding and high winds are from all over the fivecounty region, primarily Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties, Skutnik pointed out.
“We have pages and pages of calls for assistance that we’ve received since Tuesday. It’s more of a hit or miss type thing,” he said. “There are pockets all over. People that have a creek or stream through their property or their backyard or nearby seem to have been harder than anyone else. There aren’t any really bad spots just in Montgomery County. It makes it a little more complicated because it’s not just one area, it’s sporadic all throughout the county. And it’s like that in all of Southeastern Pennsylvania. There’s a couple of really bad spots in Delaware County and in Philadelphia, but the rest of the area is kind of scattered all over the place.”
Many folks don’t immediately think of contacting the American Red Cross, which is headquartered in Center City, Philadelphia, when disaster strikes, but that’s where other emergency organizations come into play, Skutnik said.
“We have strong relationships with our partners in emergency management and the fire departments because we work with them consistently when home fires happen, so when you get something big like this they will hopefully pass on the information on how to contact us. Anyone can call. It’s 1-800-Red-Cross,” he added. “If anyone was affected by the storm and has damage or needs a place to stay if their home is unlivable, they’re definitely requested to give us a call. Some people have flood insurance that covers this kind of stuff, but unfortunately a lot people don’t have flood insurance, and the Red Cross is geared to help people in these emergency situations and help get people back on their feet.”
Meals are provided through various partnerships, Skutnik said.
“It depends on the area, but we’ll partner with the Salvation Army at a couple of our hotels to serve meals there. When you have a big disaster like this it’s more than any one organization can handle. It is a true partnership of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, our government partners, all working together to get the help they need.”
Under typical circumstances, the American Red Cross would establish shelters at schools and other facilities in each county, but the coronavirus era has changed those options, Skutnik noted.
“Because of coronavirus we don’t want to have a whole bunch of people packed into one open space. Normally we’d put down the traditional Red Cross cots and have everybody in one big space. But we can’t do that now, so we’re having to use hotels so that we can keep families separated”
Roughly between 130 and 140 families are currently receiving lodging Skutnik said.
“We knew this was a possibility so we’ve been working with hotels to develop relationships and figure out where we can put people in an emergency in different places. But the bottom line is it results in a significantly higher cost,” he noted. “We have to use hotel rooms and it adds up quickly. Having to use the hotels has resulted in a significantly higher cost to the Red Cross so we’re asking the public for their support. We don’t receive government funding. So we’re always asking people to donate, because every dollar counts. The fastest way to make a donation is at redcross.org, or they can write a check and send to American Red Cross, 2221 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.”
Case workers are assigned to each family or individual, Skutnik said.
“The case worker will help them transition back to normal and get their homes back up and running.”
As always, the American Red Cross is looking for more volunteers.
“We need volunteers locally and also to deploy to areas where hurricanes hit. It’s early in hurricane season, so we know this is going to happen to someone else somewhere else, so we need more volunteers than usual because we’re spreading people out amongst the hotels instead of the one central location, so we need people to staff those locations,” Skutnik said. “Also, a lot of Red Cross volunteers are retirees and they’re the most vulnerable population because of COVID so we’re kind of hesitant in using them because we want them to stay safe and healthy. It’s up to each individual but we recommend to that high risk group that they don’t deploy to a faraway state or subject themselves to be around a whole bunch of people. So we are looking for a group of younger volunteers who can step in and kind of fill that whole that our retirees have year after.”
Associate and supervisory level opportunities are available, Skutnik said.
In addition, a press release noted that if you are an RN, LPN, LVN, APRN, NP, EMT, paramedic, MD/ DO or PA with an active, current and unencumbered license, the Red Cross needs your support. Volunteers are also needed in shelters to help assess people’s health. Daily observation and health screening for COVID-19-like illness among shelter residents may also be required. RNs supervise all clinical tasks.
More information on volunteering is available by visiting redcross.org/volunteer today. The American Red Cross is asking that those interested who are at higher risk be sure to review the CDC guidance and consult their health care providers and follow local guidance.