After Months of Non-Stop Disaster Response, American Red Cross Seeks New Volunteers to Help Storm Victims

Rash of Weather Events Deplete Local Resources

Mother Nature was harsh this past spring. She left more than 2,000 Texas families without homes, caused the Red Cross to open 60 shelters, hand out more than 340,000 meals and snacks along with 171,000 clean-up items like shovels, tarps, rakes, mops, buckets and work gloves. Her relentless nature was responded to by a force of nature made up of 2,200 trained Red Cross relief workers from around the country, with nearly half being Texans. 

Now, the Red Cross is offering virtual training courses in an attempt to recruit new volunteers to deliver their mission critical services. 

“Because the sun is shining doesn’t mean this disaster has passed,” said T.D. Smyers, chief executive officer, American Red Cross North Texas Region. “It’s quite the opposite actually. Our teams will be managing the statewide Red Cross call center, conducting disaster assessments and providing casework services most likely up through August, which is why we’re appealing for new volunteers to come join us.”

Virtual training courses are being offered this weekend in the following areas:

June 27	Orientation to Texas Disaster	9:00am-10:00am
	Caseworker: Just in Time	10:00am-12:30pm
	Disaster Assessment: Just in Time	2:30pm-3:30pm
	Sheltering: Just in Time	3:30pm-4:30pm
June 29	Orientation to Texas Disaster	9:00am-10:00am 6:30pm-7:30pm
	Sheltering: Just in Time	10:00am-11:00am 7:30pm-8:30pm
	Disaster Assessment: Just in Time	11:00am-Noon 8:30pm-9:30pm
	Casework: Just in Time	1:00pm-3:30pm 6:30pm-9:00pm

To register as a new Red Cross volunteer, go to http://www.redcross.org/tx/dallas-fort-worth/volunteer and click on ARC Flood Relief. From there, you'll receive instructions on how to register for the virtual training. All Red Cross disaster training courses are FREE, compliments of Red Cross donors who make the mission possible. 

“My team here in North Texas has literally been working around the clock since mid-April and they’ve done an honorable job for Texans,” said Smyers. “We need some more just like them to carry us through the second half of this disaster.”

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North Texas Flooding Resource List

Tropical Storm Bill has arrived in the North Texas Region and will be dumping buckets of rain of 8 inches or more in specific areas throughout our region. The Red Cross has put together a list of resources for cities around the DFW area.

Arlington: Pick up FREE sandbags in the parking lot of the Traffic Engineering/Public Works Transportation facility at 1011 Main Street, between Cooper and Davis. Personnel will be handing them out Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information call: 817-459-5400

Lewisville: The city has an emergency alert system set in place to notify residents of possible disasters in the area. To receive updates click here to be put on the list for up to date information. It also has a preparedness program KnoWhat2Do program for general safety tips during disasters. 

For more information call: 972-219-5012

Denton: The city urges residents to sign-up for CodeRed alerts for emergency notification, click here to be put on the list. 

CodeRED is operated through the National Weather Service and serves many communities in the North Texas Region, click here to find your community. 

Garland: Urges residents of flood damage to call the city at 972-205-2000 Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also subscribe to Garland's Enews service for general updates, click here to be put on the email list. 

If you need assistance with cleanup from the recent flooding throughout Texas, please call 

1-800-451-1954 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Flower Mound: Subscribe to email updates through the city's website page here.

Grand Prairie: Residents can receive information regarding weather on updates on its website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. The city urges to follow all communication platforms. If an evacuation is issued emergency personal will personally knock on residents doors. 

Mesquite: Citizens can register for Notify Me updates regarding emergencies and other city updates here. 

If you were impacted by the storms and need Red Cross assistance, please call this hotline number:

1-877-500-8645

For more information on Texas Disaster recovery you can visit FEMA's website or TDEM's website. 

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Enriching One’s Life by Enriching Others

by Michele Maki, volunteer contributor

“Folks think that when you help others, you’re enriching their life, and in many ways, you are.  But I believe that the one who’s life is most enriched, is your own.”  

This remarkable philosophy of life comes from Red Cross volunteer Carolyn Newkirk.  Newkirk, and her husband, Richard, also a Red Cross volunteer, are from the Greater Iowa Region of the American Red Cross and are helping in the flood relief and recovery effort in the Wichita Falls area.

While visiting a shelter in the area, I found the Newkirks comforting an elder gentleman, huddled in a blanket, who was in great distress.  Blind, frail and alone, this gentleman shared his fears and confusion with the Newkirks.  

Mrs. Newkirk confided, “This gentle soul needed a voice. He needed someone to listen to him and care.  He felt so alone--so forgotten.” 

Photo by: Michele Maki

I had watched this husband and wife Red Cross team comfort this gentleman and listen intently as he shared his feelings and fears.  It became obvious by the gentlest of hugs that these two volunteers cared deeply for this stranger they had just met.  I then watched them for several  more minutes and later asked Mrs. Newkirk about their relationship with this man. Surely, he was someone they knew.

“No, no…..we’re from Iowa and we’re here in Wichita County to help in the flood relief effort.  I saw this elder man who was alone and very upset.”  Mrs. Newkirk added, “I just felt he needed someone to comfort him and listen to whatever it was that was causing him so much distress. In taking some time to listen to him, I found out he was in frail health, blind and hadn’t eaten in quite some time.  My husband and I made sure he got a good hot lunch and will follow up with our Red Cross nurses to try and get some social services for him in the future.  

"You know, my belief is this, some folks think that when you help someone, you’re enriching their life, but today, it was my life that was enriched and I’m so very thankful."

Relief and recovery efforts continue throughout the state of Texas. These efforts are made possible by the generosity of  the American people.  You can help the American Red Cross by donating to RedCross.org/Donate.

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