Chapter Newsletter

Local Red Cross Volunteers Return Home

After two weeks of long hours aiding flood victims in Pennsylvania, six local American Red Cross volunteers have now returned home.  Iowa Rivers Chapter volunteers Sharon and Jim Pals and Karen Weltzin of Marshalltown, Lori Brown of Grinnell, Nicole VerMeer of Montezuma, and Elizabeth Roloff of State Center donated their time and efforts to help those affected by the floods.

Families who have lost their homes need many different services during a disaster.  Jim and Sharon Pals, Brown, VerMeer, and Roloff were all deployed to help with sheltering, but as things change within a disaster, so do the assignments.  Brown served meals to victims in Montrose, PA.  Jim and Sharon Pals delivered supplies to Red Cross locations throughout Pennsylvania. VerMeer and Roloff both worked in Staff Services based at the head quarters in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  Weltzin was deployed and worked within Family Services in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. 

“This was a great experience,” said Roloff, after her first disaster.  “Volunteers come from all over the country and become one big family. It’s just amazing to be within such a diverse group of people with a common passion…to help.”

Although the flood waters had gone down shortly after these volunteers had arrived, much assistance was needed by many families and individuals. The flood waters severely damaged hundreds or homes and completely destroyed many others.  As people returned to their homes they had no way to prepare meals and they needed financial assistance to replace what was lost.  American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles were there day and night to deliver meals while Red Cross Family Service volunteers talked to families and individuals to assist with other personal and financial needs. More than 90,000 meals were served in Pennsylvania alone and over 200,000 total throughout the Northeast. 

The need for assistance has lessened greatly and many more volunteers are returning home around the country.  Many families are beginning to pick up the pieces and recover from the damage with the help of the American Red Cross.

“Last time I responded to a disaster I was in sheltering and saw the direct impact,” said VerMeer.  “It was amazing to see how much goes on behind the scenes to make an operation work.”

 “It is thanks to our trained volunteers that disaster victims get the assistance they need,” said Dean Sweberg, Iowa Rivers Chapter Emergency Services Director.  “A disaster can occur at any time.  That’s why we hold classes year-round in ever aspect of disaster services to ensure our volunteers are properly trained.”

The peak of the disaster season is quickly approaching and volunteers are always needed. To learn more on how to become a Red Cross disaster volunteer visit the Iowa Rivers Chapter website at http://iowarivers.redcross.org, or contact Dean Sweberg at (641) 753-3317 ext. 1.