By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY – Just this week, one of two American Red Cross shelter team members have been deployed to provide relief during Hurricane Sandy.
The storm has left a path of destruction throughout the northeast.
Community Chapter Executive Nancy Litton said she could not provide the name of the person deployed for their safety, but did confirm it is an experienced volunteer who has been deployed previously.
The volunteer was most recently deployed to Florida to aid in disaster relief for Hurricane Isaac.
Three days ago two shelter team members from the Carolina Piedmont region, of which Rowan County is apart, were sent to West Virginia to set up support shelter operations, according to the Carolina Piedmont region’s Twitter feed.
The shelter team is specifically trained to manage shelter sites such as those being used along the eastern coast.
A shelter team is made up of 10 trained volunteers who’ve trained and worked alongside each other.
Three of the 10 members were from Cabarrus and Rowan Counties. The Carolina Piedmont region is comprised of 10 chapters that cover 15 counties in North Carolina.
The shelter teams is a relatively new concept for the local Red Cross Litton said.
The Red Cross is seeking individuals to become trained volunteers so they can be selected to go help with disaster relief, said Angela Broome, CEO for the Carolina Piedmont region.
“The need is great for folks to help on the sheltering side in the affected areas,” Broome said.
Those interested in becoming a shelter volunteer should contact the local Red Cross office.
Interested participants will have to undergo an application process, a background check and complete online courses.
Broome said there is not a need for spontaneous volunteers, but those who have had some training.
“We are not actively calling up untrained volunteers. We are seeking individuals to become trained volunteers so that they can be selected to go,” she said.
There are 33 additional volunteers from the Charlotte region who will be deploying in the next few days. No added Rowan County members have been scheduled to deploy at this time.
Anyone who would like to help with disaster relief in the northeast, can do so in one of three following ways:
• Contribution checks can be sent to the Hanford Dole Chapter of the Red Cross, 1930 W. Jake Alexander Boulevard, Salisbury, NC 28147.
• Go to www.redcross.org, to make an online contribution.
• Send a REDCROSS text message to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
The money is incorporated into the customer’s wireless cell phone bill.