up by Lesly and her team. Lesly said that once clients start coming into the shelter, they regis- ter for their shelter stay and then are assessed for any immediate needs, which include med- ical, mental, emotional and psychosocial. The Red Cross works with their volunteer medical teams to ensure all needs are met. “We all play  people that clients see, and we want people to feel welcomed and comfortable.” says Lesly. Lesly has volunteered with the Red Cross since 2008 and has served in many capaci- ties- to name a few- she is a Chapter Recovery Coordinator- overseeing casework for clients       events, she gave me one totally understanding  a home, or any other crisis event. She is a Di- saster Action Team Leader and Coordinator-  family loses their home- “we interview them and provide services like food, clothing, a temporary place to stay, and ongoing follow up care.”


Lesly says that sometimes people bring their pets to the shelter. She said service  or any animals they own to stay while they are in the shelter. Lesly told me that there are several projects that the Red Cross has developed


 the Alarm Campaign. The Pillowcase Project is where Red Cross volunteers go into elementary schools and provide Pillowcases and crayons, and the children draw their own Disaster Home Evacuation plans, bring them home and share them with their families. Through partnership with local Fire Departments, Red Cross volun- teers help install free smoke alarms with batteries included into people’s homes.  alarms in a home increase the likelihood of survival by 50 percent and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival. As of May 2019, the Red Cross and its partners across the country have saved more than 600 lives. Including nine in Yavapai County! One of the Red Cross volunteers I met when I was helping at the shelter was Brad Barnett. He has served the Red Cross since 2009 as a volunteer, however he told me in the years before then, he has donated a total of 11 gallons of blood to the Red  Disaster Action Team case worker and supervisor, Shelter Supervisor, and has volunteered in many Red Cross events, such as the Sound the Alarm Campaign. Brad told me, “It’s all about the client to me, it’s about the people I get to help. And it’s about listening to the client, being there for them when they have no one else to turn to.”


That day I was at the shelter I was able to help support medical needs for some of the clients who


were staying there. As a new Red Cross volunteer, I was well supported by the Regional Disaster Health Services Advisor who is a registered nurse as well as another Red Cross local nurse volunteer. I will never forget the look on the clients faces as they said to me, “Thank you, you really care.”  to learn about opportunities where you would like to       https://www. redcross.org/


References 


   https://www.redcross.org/ local/california/san-diego/about-us/news-and- events/news/sound-the-alarm-two-more-lives- saved.html https://www.redcross.org/ 


 American Red Cross volunteer in Arizona.


NOVEMBER 2019 I ARIZONA’S OWN MAGAZINE I 23


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