Preparing for, dealing with disasters Published April 12, 2006 By Tarsha Storey 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- They are the only non-profit organization congressionally mandated to respond to natural disasters. They are the American Red Cross. Natural disasters can mean many things such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and floods, said Nancy Cataldo, American Red Cross Central South Carolina Chapter service center operations director. The Red Cross's disaster program has two parts, said Jenyfer Johnson, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron and Red Cross volunteer. The most well known part of the Red Cross, she said, is disaster preparation and response in the event of a large disaster such as a hurricane or a flood. If needed, the Red Cross will open shelters, provide supplies and volunteers. The Red Cross also provides responses to local disasters such as small floods, tornados and house fires that may affect a few people on a smaller scale. The preparation and response area of the Central South Carolina Chapter of the Red Cross includes 10 counties: Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, Kershaw, Saluda, Fairfield, Newberry, Richland, Lexington and Calhoun, said Ms. Cataldo. All year long, the local Red Cross staff is planning and training to ensure there are enough trained volunteers to respond to whatever disaster could happen -- regardless of who it happens to, said Ms. Johnson. "The assistance we provide is based on need. We offer the same assistance to everyone affected (by a disaster), regardless of income. A family in a million-dollar, well-insured home -- millions in the bank -- needs our assistance just as much at 2 a.m. as a family on public assistance in an uninsured trailer. In the middle of a disaster, be it a hurricane or a house fire, we are there to offer clients a 'shoulder,' someone to help them, listen to them, offer them a place to stay or a toy for a child who has just lost everything," said Ms. Johnson. The Red Cross also runs the Armed Forces Emergency Services program. This program provides emergency communication and verification to help military members who have a death or serious illness of a family member, child's birth or other critical family matters, said Ms. Cataldo. When the Red Cross is needed, they can be called directly by a client or by emergency service workers. Volunteers carry a pager in each county for calls that come in after the office closes. They respond whenever the pager sounds, said Ms. Johnson. Following Hurricane Katrina, the local Red Cross helped 93 families affected by the disaster, said Ms. Cataldo. Even though the Red Cross can respond to national and large scale disasters, Ms. Johnson said the Red Cross is about helping those with needs in our communities. She said volunteering with the chapter is a way for her to give back to the community and to make it better. "We, as volunteers, are the American Red Cross when we go out in public with our vests, shirts or nametags. No matter what you have, there is always someone out there that has less or needs more help. What really makes (volunteering) all worthwhile is when I go out in the middle of the night and help a family. When I'm done, they give me a hug or thank me and tell me how they really appreciate my help. To me, that is what volunteering is all about," said Ms. Johnson. The Red Cross is entirely funded by donations and the staff is mainly run by volunteers, said Ms. Cataldo. No matter how many people volunteer to help, Ms. Cataldo said the chapter is always in need of more volunteers. If you'd like to volunteer or donate to the Shaw or Sumter Red Cross offices, call the Shaw office at 895-6733 or contact the Sumter office at 775-2363.