Red Cross Holds Volunteer Seminars

The Nashville Area Red Cross maxed out their volunteer training classes in less than 12 hours earlier this week, leaving many people wondering how they can help Hurricane Katrina victims living in shelters.

The Red Cross received more than the 1-thousand volunteers they asked for, so the organization held a seminar at David Lipscomb University on Saturday to let potential volunteers know that their services will be needed.

Many in the audience expressed dismay that they aren’t able to help immediately, but Red Cross spokeswoman Amy Hall says assisting evacuees isn’t a short term effort.

“It’s a blessing that we have such an involved community and have people wanting to help so much. But we’re just asking that people be patient, pace themselves, this is a marathon, not a sprint as we keep saying. And we’re going to need people to respond to this Hurricane Katrina evacuee situation over the long haul, these people are going to be making their lives here in Nashville.”

Hall says the Red Cross insists volunteers are trained before working in shelters so they’re prepared to assist individuals who have been through severe trauma.

The Red Cross is partnering with other community organizations such as Hands on Nashville and the Urban League to sign up and manage databases of volunteers for the months to come. Kimberly Hunt is a student at Middle Tennessee State University and says she wanted to help the Hurricane victims. Hunt, who is African-American, says she didn’t think there were enough black volunteers.

“It is important to have someone that represents you in anything, because that’s who you are and who you are familiar with, who understands your background and some of your beliefs so it’s very important to have representation of your own kind.”

The Nashville Area Red Cross is currently only housing around 100 evacuees from the Gulf Coast, but says it has provided food, money and clothing to over 4,000 people.