As Extreme Disasters Mount, Help Ensure No One Faces Them Alone
Many families—maybe even yours—face another year of extreme weather as a growing number of climate disasters continues to displace people in the U.S. But you can help ensure no one deals with these crises alone.
The Problem
Over the past decade, the number of severe disasters with overall damages of at least $1 billion has increased 70% in the U.S.—part of a years-long trend of more frequent and intense hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms, floods and other emergencies. As a result, this relentless pace of climate-driven disasters has created more ongoing emergency needs for people, including those who have been forced from their homes by multiple events.
What Can be Done
Because of the climate crisis, the American Red Cross is now launching nearly twice as many relief operations for major disasters as it did a decade ago. And this growing need for assistance means it must increase volunteer capacity to continue responding on a near-constant basis.
Volunteers of all ages are at the heart of the Red Cross mission and represent 90% of its workforce, responding to tens of thousands of disasters each year. They’re continuously on the ground, providing shelter, comfort, hot meals, health services and recovery support to families who are overwhelmed and have nowhere else to go.
What You Can Do
You can help provide relief and hope when it matters most by volunteering. Most-needed disaster positions include supporting shelters and providing health services.
• Shelter support: Help at a shelter during a large disaster by welcoming and registering residents, serving meals, setting up cots, distributing blankets and personal hygiene kits, and providing information and other assistance to people in need.
• Health services: If you’re a licensed healthcare provider, you can use your skills to deliver hands-on support, including care and education to people staying at a shelter during a large disaster.
• Disaster action team: Help families affected by smaller disasters in your community by providing food, lodging, comfort, recovery assistance and other support. From offering a shoulder to cry on, to meeting any immediate needs for shelter or supplies, to connecting people with support services, they ensure that families don’t have to face tough times alone.
Learn More: For further information and to sign up for volunteer opportunities, visit redcross.org/volunteer.
