The Santa Barbara chapter of the Red Cross has deployed seven volunteers to help with the group’s tsunami relief effort in the American Samoan Islands. Before leaving, the volunteers attended a briefing at the county chapter headquarters in Santa Barbara.
The volunteers will help to provide shelter for people who’ve been displaced, provide mental service counselors, and nurse people ailing due to the typhoon.
It’s exhausting work, and the volunteers will be there for up to three weeks, even though Red Cross doesn’t yet have a withdrawal date.
“They will be working for six days a week, at 13 hours a day, and may have to sleep outside,” said Paul Myers, director of emergency services. “They have got to be fresh and clean in order to do a great job, so they won’t be there for an extended amount of time.”
Even though two of the local volunteers left at the beginning of October, the rest of the group has been placed on hold.
“It’s hard to get in Samoa right now,” Myers said, “especially when there isn’t any electricity.”
A day in the life of one of these volunteers will include gathering cultural information, continually sheltering displaced Samoans, providing mental health for people damaged by the disaster, serving the Samoans meals, and having activities in between meals.
The Red Cross is also at alert status concerning an island near Japan threatened by a typhoon.
The American Red Cross is a privately run organization that doesn’t receive government money. Anyone interested in donating time or money should contact the Santa Maria office at 928-0778, or the Lompoc office at 736-5110.
Intern Henry Houston compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com
This article appears in Oct 8-15, 2009.