American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania asks you resolve to make a difference and support your community by becoming a volunteer in 2024.

“We’re seeing both the frequency and intensity of disasters increase due to the climate crisis,” Jorge Martinez, president and CEO, American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania, said. “Across the country, the Red Cross is responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as we did a decade ago to help people. This uptick in responses means we need more volunteers. The need to help has never been greater.”

Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up for opportunities with your local Red Cross chapter. You can help people here in Pennsylvania, or you can sign up to support disaster victims in other parts of the country.

Locally, more than 3,300 people volunteer with the Red Cross. In the last year, they responded to more than 1,500 disasters. Local volunteers are part of the almost 275,000 volunteers across the country whose support enables the Red Cross to provide relief and comfort for disaster victims, lifesaving blood products for patients, emergency support for military families and veterans and much more.

Some of our most-needed disaster-related volunteer roles include the following.

• Disaster action team: Most of the 60,000 emergencies the Red Cross responds to each year are smaller disasters like home fires, and these are no less devastating to the families affected. As a disaster action team volunteer, you can help comfort and support people in your community by meeting any immediate needs such as food, shelter, clothing or supplies and connecting them to long-term recovery services. The Red Cross supplies all the training needed.

• Disaster recovery care: Case work volunteers provide support to people after disasters to help them get back on their feet. This can include providing referrals to other organizations, serving as an advocate and issuing financial assistance through a special online system. Volunteers are needed to help both virtually and on-site after disasters.

• Disaster mental health: These volunteers provide mental health support to those impacted by a disaster. To be qualified, volunteers must hold a master’s degree and a current, unencumbered license as a social worker, psychologist, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, school psychologist or school counselor. Current psychiatric nurses with state license as a registered nurse and at least two years’ experience in a psychiatric setting are also qualified, as are retired mental health professionals who were licensed and maintained a license or certification in good standing upon retirement.

• Blood donor ambassador: The Red Cross helps to supply about 40% of the nation’s blood, and they depend on volunteers to help ensure patients have access to this lifesaving gift. Ensure blood donors have a pleasant and fulfilling experience, from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. They greet donors, answer questions and thank them for their donation.

• Blood transportation specialist: These volunteers deliver lifesaving blood products from Red Cross distribution facilities to hospitals, using a Red Cross-owned vehicle. Typical shifts are about four hours. The Red Cross asks for a commitment of two to four shifts per month (or more if possible).

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters, supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood, teaches skills that save lives, distributes international humanitarian aid and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission.

For more information, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org or visit Twitter at @RedCross.