Low numbers hurt Red Cross in Mat-Su

By J.J. Harrier

Frontiersman

WASILLA — When a disaster happens in a community, the American Red Cross is usually there to help. In the Mat-Su Valley, there are fewer volunteers available to respond.

Penney Pickett, one of eight who finished the 16 hours of training required to become a Red Cross volunteer, wanted to be of service in the Mat-Su as much as possible. She was surprised to learn there are not many others like her willing to make the commitment.

“I decided to go through the American Red Cross training to become part of the disaster action team,” Pickett said. “At the class we were talking about the number of Red Cross volunteers we have in the Mat-Su Borough, and it turns out we only have about 25 active members. That’s pretty scary.”

Pickett said one factor that may play a part in the declining interest to volunteer is the enforcement of extensive criminal background checks for all employees and volunteers of the American Red Cross.

Changes to volunteer requirements were made during the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts in 2005 after a handful of corrupt volunteers mishandled funds, equipment and, in some cases, took advantage of the same victims they were supposed to help. Some of the misconduct included improper diversion of relief supplies, failure to follow required Red Cross procedures in tracking and distributing supplies and using felons as volunteers in the disaster area in violation of Red Cross rules.

During debriefing sessions after that disaster, the Red Cross changed its guidelines to require criminal background checks on all Red Cross volunteers before they can work with or around clients.

“If we have another disaster in the Valley on the scale of the Miller’s Reach fire, where we have hundreds of families displaced and in need of shelter, we are sorely lacking in volunteers that can respond immediately to the emergency,” Pickett said.

Pickett was referring to the 1996 fire that consumed more than 37,000 acres and forced evacuations of hundreds of families.

Nancy Hall, manager of the American Red Cross in Wasilla, said the background checks are necessary. Some volunteer candidates have turned down the opportunity to be of service when they learn their personal information will be entered into a national electronic database.

“It might be a concern that background checks would stop the spontaneous volunteers,” Pickett said. “You have to remember that volunteers work with women and children, in their homes, in shelters. These are vulnerable people in need, so I think it makes perfect sense to want to know more about who these volunteers are.”

Hall said the problems before the checks were widespread.

Mat-Su Valley’s American Red Cross opened in 1995 in the basement office owned by Gordon and Carol Taylor, both Anchorage Red Cross volunteers who saw the need to open a response center in Valley.

When the Miller’s Reach fire erupted in 1986, the Mat-Su center had just a few volunteers to pull from. Spontaneous volunteers were rounded up by other Alaska Red Cross chapters, including Anchorage, Kenai and Fairbanks.

Gordon died three weeks ago, but his daughter Lorraine is an active volunteer for the Mat-Su chapter.

Hall and Pickett both agree that the more Mat-Su volunteers are on board, the better the local group will be to respond to unexpected disasters.

Hall said the 25 current volunteers are constantly changing and with few training opportunities for them, Mat-Su Valley’s Red Cross volunteers are less prepared than ever.

“People’s lives change all the time,” Hall said. “One couple retired and moved out of state, some got new jobs and there are day-to-day life situations. Then there are not many fires, which is good, but less training opportunities for the volunteers we do have left. So yes, we need lots of help.”

Volunteers participate in four disaster training classes, 16 hours total, excluding first aid and CPR training. Volunteers also have the option to become advocates in logistics and housing, shelter and client assistance, or go out into the community to provide relief.

Pickett said that in case of a wide-scale disaster similar to Miller’s Reach, the Red Cross would be able to call on Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai or national chapters for help.

“I don’t think the public realizes they wouldn’t be able to just show up to help,” Pickett said. “The Red Cross needs help to get the word out to reach the people about being trained to become a qualified volunteer.”

Red Cross disaster training courses are held twice a year, a number Hall said would grow if interest in volunteering grew.

“Before they are able to work with clients, even on a fire call, they have to have the background check,” Hall said.

Anchorage’s American Red Cross spokesperson Kelly Hurd said the background checks have not affected the influx of Anchorage volunteers. There are more than 950 disaster volunteers signed up in the Anchorage area to respond to immediate catastrophes.

“We take our accountability to the public very serious,” Hurd said. “We promote a safe, secure system that the Red Cross lives by today. There are folks in shelters working directly with clients, and we want to ensure the best customer service in a safe secure facility.”

Hurd said to apply to become a volunteer, the process is easy.

Candidates can call a local Red Cross chapter and walk through a quick on-line application. There, information is submitted to a national database that will signal back to the American Red Cross via e-mail whether or not a person’s background check hits on any past criminal activity. The Red Cross reviews the person’s criminal background based on whether they have any charges or convictions in theft or drug activity and felonies over the past seven years.

“This has not had a negative impact on the organization,” Hurd said. “People understand the importance of this. The record is pretty clear in most states.”

For more information on volunteering for the Mat-Su Valley American Red Cross, contact 357-6060.