Advice from a Red Cross volunteer: Don’t recover from the hurricanes alone

In May 2009, three days after getting laid off from her job, Lori Halverson signed up to volunteer for the American Red Cross. “I had always wanted to work for the Red Cross,” says Halverson, now a Vistage Chair in Denver, Colorado. “Finally, I had time for it.”

Halverson (pictured, right) quickly landed a new job but never stopped working for the Red Cross. In fact, for the last 15+ years, she has been “on call” every Saturday as a Red Cross volunteer, stepping in at a moment’s notice to provide emotional support and financial assistance to individuals and families facing emergency situations. As a Disaster Action Team Captain, she has also led three large-scale disaster response efforts, including managing a shelter in Colorado during a major snowstorm and helping more than 4,000 people displaced from their homes by wildfires.

In the wake of hurricanes Milton and Helene, Halverson sat down to share information about resources available to the Vistage community through the Red Cross.

What should Vistage members do if they’ve been impacted by the hurricanes?

If you haven’t yet registered with the Red Cross, do so today to see if you are eligible for financial assistance. Many people are. Register on their website or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to get a case number. Also, get registered with FEMA so you can apply for assistance there, too.

How does the process typically work?

In the first 72 hours after a traumatic event, the Red Cross will send a volunteer team to meet with families, provide emotional support and assign them a case number. We will interview them to understand who’s been affected and how they’ve been affected. Then, we get them financial assistance to use for whatever they need, whether that’s food or a hotel for a few days. We also connect with other resources, like food banks or places where they can get clothing.

What people don’t know is that 90% of the Red Cross’s workforce is volunteers. So, we are always looking for volunteers.

How might Vistage members contribute to the effort?

I’d love for Vistage members to volunteer! There are so many different things you can do. Some don’t take a lot of time, and you can choose how many hours you work and when you work. Some caseworkers even work from home to help people post-recovery.

I’m a disaster response person, but there are other short-term projects you can do. For instance, you could go to schools to teach kids about fire safety or go door-to-door to help people test and replace smoke alarms.

Also, if you can’t volunteer, donate. You can give specifically to the hurricane relief effort or just make a general donation. I always recommend making a general donation because the Red Cross has more flexibility in how it uses the funds.

How does someone sign up to volunteer?

The first step is calling the Red Cross. You can just say, “Hey, I’m interested in doing XYZ,” or “I’d like to understand what opportunities are available in my area.” We offer training fairly frequently to give you the basics, and you can also receive more in-depth training depending on where you want to volunteer. It’s an easy process and really fulfilling work.

Why have you volunteered for the Red Cross for so long?

There’s nothing like helping people in their ultimate time of need and seeing what a relief it is for them to know, for example, where they’re going to sleep for the next couple of nights. For me, there’s the satisfaction of helping another human when they need it most.

It sounds like there’s some overlap with your work as a Vistage Chair.

It’s a lot like my work with Vistage. CEOs and executives sometimes suffer alone, but they don’t have to. In both Vistage and the Red Cross, I am helping to alleviate that.

I think it’s how I apply my “why.” My goal is to serve. I wake up every day saying, “How can I serve people? Who can I serve today?”

Related Resources

Vistage Disaster Relief Resources

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