The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region needs your help to meet the urgent need for shelter volunteers as wildfires continue to spread across the state of California.

If you are in good health and willing to deploy for a period of up to fourteen days to support the many shelters and evacuation sites open in Northern California, we urge you to start your training today in one of two types of volunteer roles: Shelter Services and Disaster Health Services

Please note: the Red Cross is committed to the health and safety of our volunteers and the communities we serve. At this time we are not deploying volunteers who have experienced any symptoms of illness including fever, cough, respiratory issues, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, headaches or other flu-like systems. Therefore, if you or anyone in your household has recently shown any symptoms of illness, please wait to start your application until all members of your household have been well for at least 14 days. The Red Cross will also work to protect our volunteers by administering temperature checks each day prior to your shift and requiring face coverings while working.

Shelter Services Volunteers

These volunteers support the day-to-day activities within a shelter which may include working in reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information or other areas inside a Red Cross shelter. Because COVID-19 safety protocols require additional shelter locations to open to in order to make sure people can stay at least six feet apart, more shelter services volunteers are needed to begin their training now. 

There are two levels of this position:

Associate (approx. 3 hours online training)

Shelter Associates complete tasks necessary for shelter operations and provide assistance for people staying in a shelter. With COVID-19 safety measures requiring the opening of multiple locations in order to keep all people socially distant, more Shelter Associates are needed to help these shelters stay open and operational.

• Ability to lift and carry 20 lbs. multiple times per shift, stand or sit for 2-hour periods
• Walk two miles per shift, possibly on uneven terrain and outdoors in inclement weather and up two or more flights of stairs.
• Ability to drive in daytime and at night.
• Ability to work for long periods on computer and/or reading small print.
• Availability to sign up for shifts on consecutive days (shifts may be 4, 8 or 12 hours long)
• Ability to build appropriate and effective relationships with co-workers and shelter residents, manage conflict and ask for help early on so that workflow and service delivery does not impact shelter residents or the shelter community.

Click here to learn more and apply to be a Shelter Services Associate
(Already a Red Cross Volunteer? Click here.)

Supervisor (approx. 8 hours online training)

Shelter Supervisors guide and supervise a team of assigned workers to successfully complete tasks necessary for shelter operations. They support and correct the performance of their team, manage conflict and ask for help early on so that workflow and service delivery does not impact shelter residents or the shelter community.

• Minimum 2 years’ experience supervising a team of 5 or large
• Ability to lift and carry 20 lbs. multiple times per shift, stand or sit for 2-hour periods
• Walk two miles per shift, possibly on uneven terrain and outdoors in inclement weather and up two or more flights of stairs.
• Ability to drive in daytime and at night.
• Ability to work for long periods on computer and/or reading small print.
• Availability to sign up for shifts on consecutive days (shifts may be 4, 8 or 12 hours long)
• Ability to build appropriate and effective relationships with co-workers and shelter residents, manage conflict and ask for help early on so that workflow and service delivery does not impact shelter residents or the shelter community.
  

Click here to learn more and apply to be a Shelter Services Supervisor.
(Already a Red Cross Volunteer? Click here.)

Disaster Health Services Volunteers

These volunteers provide medical care and consultations for people staying at Red Cross shelters who may have endured hardship or injury during an evacuation. The position requires a current, unencumbered medial license in order to provide hands-on care for evacuees, which may include assistance with activities of daily living, replacing medications and observing and screening for COVID-19 and other illness.

There are two levels of this position:

Associate (approx. 4 hours online training)

Volunteers in this role provide hands-on care, health education, and health assessments for people staying in a Red Cross shelter. You will advocate for client needs with a Disaster health Services supervisor (see below) and make determinations if a higher level of care is needed. The position requires:

• A current, unencumbered license in at least one of the following professions: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensesd Practical Nurse (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic, Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Physician Assistant (PA)
• Willingness and availability to volunteer in-person at a shelter before, during and/or after a disaster event that occurs during the COVID-19 pandemic for shifts of 4-12 hours on consecutive days
• Willing to complete 4 hours of virtual self-paced training required for position
  
  

Click here to learn more and apply to be a Disaster Health Services Associate.
(Already a Red Cross volunteer? Click here.)

Supervisor (approx. 8 hours online training)

In addition to the hands-on duties of the Associate position, this role leads a team of volunteers and acts as the liaison from the Disaster Health Services team to the shelter manager, communicating access and functional needs to the shelter manager and assisting in documentation and data gathering of patients. The position requires:

• Experience as a charge nurse, EMS team lead or physician
• A current, unencumbered license in at least one of the following professions: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensesd Practical Nurse (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic, Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Physician Assistant (PA)
• Willing and able to volunteer in-person at a shelter before, during and/or after a disaster event that occurs during the COVID-19 pandemic for shifts of 4-12 hours on consecutive days
• Willing to complete 8 hours of virtual self-paced training required for position

Click here to learn more and apply to be a Disaster Health Services Supervisor.
(Already a Red Cross volunteer? Click here.)