Contribute and connect

WHEN the community faces an emergency, the local municipality calls for a relief centre. As a response group, Red Cross is notified to activate their volunteers.

Ahead of a hot summer and upcoming fire season, the Inner Grampians division of Red Cross emergency service volunteers seeks more proactive people to join their crew, serving the Moorabool, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Ballarat, Pyrenees and Ararat areas.

Inner Grampians Acting Divisional Operations Officer, Cath McGowan is looking forward to “building the team.”

With a life-long passion for helping people, she became a Red Cross volunteer eight months ago and said it’s a great way for anyone of any background, culture and ability to express that they care and keep others safe.

“It gives people an opportunity to get engaged with their community and get to know more people, and they also get a feeling that they’re making a contribution and connecting,” she said.

“If you’ve got a philosophy that says, ‘I care,’ then you can be a volunteer with Red Cross.”

As an emergency services volunteer, you can be proactive in their area to prepare the community or provide an immediate response to catastrophes like bushfire and flood.

Some volunteers are even trained to deliver educational programs to children in schools so that they’re ready for high-pressure emergency situations.

Compassionate response volunteers are always the most desperately needed.

“We’re talking about being in a relief centre with people who are, maybe, a bit stressed and have come out of a potentially life-threatening situation, so our volunteers are all trained in psychological first aid,” Ms McGowan said.

“We need to be aware of things people might need… Food and water… To be in an environment where they’re feeling safe.

“So, we’re providing for those needs and mindful of people outside the relief centre who may be away from the emergency, but are concerned for those caught up.”

Red Cross volunteers use a system called Register.Find.Reunite, taking the details of people in relief centres so that when loved ones ring, names are on record and people can be reunited.

Ms McGowan hopes more people get to learn these processes this year.

“We’re really, really keen to get as many people on board as possible.”

Those electing to be response volunteers need to make themselves available for two days in the month, to fulfil roster requirements.

Those interested in volunteering can contact 1800 232 969 or visit redcross.org.au/volunteer. A working with children and police check is required.