Hurricane Preparedness / Shelter Service Associate - Volunteer

SHELTER HELP NEEDED Step up to help your local community! Due to predictions for another active hurricane season, the Red Cross will need thousands of volunteers to care for people when disasters strike. Train now to be a Ready Red Cross Shelter Volunteer so you can answer the call when your community needs it most!

There is a special need for volunteers to support sheltering efforts. The Red Cross is placing those needing a safe place to stay in emergency hotel lodging when possible. If hotel stays aren’t possible, then the Red Cross will open traditional shelters. To help keep people safe, we have put in place additional precautions and developed special training for our workforce.

The Shelter Service Associate is a temporary position assigned to work in person in a Red Cross shelter before, during and/or after a disaster event. Shelter Service Associates complete tasks necessary for shelter operations and provide assistance for disaster clients. Shelter Service Associates support the day-to-day activities within a shelter which may include working in reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information, or other areas within a shelter.

Responsibilities:

• Embody the fundamental principles of the American Red Cross in their work with clients, disaster responders and partners
• Serve as a shelter worker on a disaster relief operation; roles may include working in reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information, or other areas within a shelter.
• Meet disaster-caused sheltering needs of individuals, families, and communities.
• Provide services with kindness and compassion that are accessible and equitable to all clients.
• Maintain clear communication and collaboration with supervisor and peers.
• Complete the required virtual self-paced training (3.5 hours of training total)

Additionally, individuals will need to be willing to:

• Work in a shelter in their area
• Be willing to wear a mask in the shelter site, regardless of vaccine status
• Local/Regional: Shift work determined by the scale of the relief operation; a minimum requirement of 8-12 hours per day during the disaster relief operation for multiple, consecutive days.
• Beyond region: Minimum of 14 days working 8 or 12-hour shifts

If you are interested in helping our community should a disaster occur, please go to redcross.org/volunteer today or contact our area offices at (404) 575-3749 or email GARecruit@redcross.org.