Volunteer Opportunities

Key Responsibilities

Examples of positions that fall within our Disaster Response are:** Please note not every position may be available **

• Disaster Action Team: Disaster Action Team members provide 24-hour emergency response to local disasters, particularly house fires, ensuring that those affected have access to resources for basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. In Minnesota, we respond annually to nearly 500 house fires, so this is the most typical type of disaster response, but we also respond to flooding, tornadoes and other weather events.
• Disaster Duty Officer: When there is a disaster in our region, the first call for help is answered by our Duty Officers. They mobilize and support a team of volunteers, known as disaster action team members, who respond to requests for disaster assistance. This role requires strong communication and computer skills, but it is one that can be done from your home. They coordinate client assistance, public affairs support, and any health or mental health resources that may be requested. Duty Officers are the hub of communication in the event we scale up to a larger disaster response and they are available 24/7 to coordinate disaster assistance and support our volunteers.
• Mass Care: Mass Care provides activities and services on a congregate basis to the community as a whole including feeding, sheltering, reunification, and distribution of emergency supplies.
• Logistics: This position is responsible for the execution of the logistics program within the region. This position will work on vehicle tracking, including the emergency response vehicles, acquisition of materials & supplies, inspections of facilities for potential shelters, inventory, and warehousing.
• Information & Planning: Information and Planning is responsible for gathering assessment and operational data required for effective management of a response, including information about the scope of the disaster and the effectiveness of the response. The data compiled by Information and Planning supports reports to donors about the effective use of the resources they have provided to the Red Cross.

Time Commitment

Flexible, depending on role within position