Red Cross puts out call for more volunteers amid deadly LA wildfires. Here's how to help

Red Cross highlights need for volunteers

FOX 13’s Kailey Tracy shows us how the LA wildfires are bringing attention to the ongoing need for more Red Cross volunteers.

TAMPA, Fla. - Officials with the American Red Cross say the wildfires in California highlight the ongoing need for more volunteers across the country.

Hundreds of volunteers have traveled to Los Angeles County to help with relief efforts, including six from the greater Orlando and Tampa Bay areas.

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What they're saying:

North Florida Regional CEO Christian Smith says to keep in mind that the Red Cross is still responding to local disasters, like house fires, on a day-to-day basis, and needs help with that, too.

"It’s not just that we’re having more and more frequent disasters, it’s the magnitude of the disasters," Smith said. "It also means that Red Cross has to have more volunteers, and we have to be ready at a moment’s notice because every time we turn around, there’s another disaster coming right behind it."

Hundreds of volunteers with the American Red Cross, including several from Florida, are in Los Angeles County responding to the ongoing deadly wildfires. (Courtesy: American Red Cross.)

Smith says one disaster doesn’t end when another starts. She stressed, though, the importance of proper training that’s needed to volunteer. The training varies depending on which opportunity someone chooses. For example, working in a shelter requires 20 to 30 hours of training in-person and online.

Local perspective:

The six volunteers from our area volunteering in California are working in shelters and helping with logistics.

"When you can help someone to lean forward and help themselves, and you know that you’re part of that hug, that smile, that assistance that we give, it might not seem like a lot to someone, but the payback is that recognition from those people that we’ve really helped them move forward, and we’re a part of a big thing in their life and it’s a positive thing," Sammi Conneen of the Greater Orlando Area American Red Cross said.

They say this mission is even more important after so many volunteers from California came here to help after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

What you can do:

People can volunteer for opportunities like responding to disasters, volunteering at the VA, educating people about how to be ready for a disaster, helping with administrative tasks and fundraising, and more.

Those interested in volunteering can look at the different opportunities by clicking here.

People can also go to the "volunteer" drop-down at the top of the website and click on "Find your perfect fit." Once you enter your zip code, you can browse opportunities based on your area.

The Source: This story was written using information from the American Red Cross, including interviews along with the organization's website.

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