NNARC NEWS RELEASE
Nine American Red Cross, Northern Nevada Chapter volunteers deployed to Colorado to support and assist with evacuation shelters for the many residents displaced by the multiple wildfires burning in the state returned this week and are now available to tell their stories.
Those deployed were as follows: Reno: Betsy Morse, Sharon Gordon, Carol Parkhurst and Liz McFarland; Sparks: Danel Lipparelli and Rebecca Tackett; Incline Village: John Lusk and Nancy Barrett; Elko: Darcy Schumacher.
The volunteers worked together as a team and performed all of the activities included in sheltering and caring for evacuees including registering, feeding and referring residents to other service agencies when needed.
Lipparelli, a volunteer in the mental health services division, used her training and specialized skill set to provide professional emotional support to help those affected deal with displacement, loss of property and/or life from disasters.
As part of the team, Lusk was the staff support manager and was responsible for the care and support of the volunteers deployed. Lusk ensured the Northern Nevada volunteers’ safety, lodging and emotional needs were met so they could effectively do their jobs.
The majority of the deployed volunteers were new to the American Red Cross, and this was their first deployment. The experiences and skills learned will be valuable resources that will be needed during disasters in Northern Nevada.
NNARC continually recruits for a variety of skill sets to help with its mission from specialties such as registered nurses, social work specialists and licensed psychiatric professionals as well as warm and caring individuals. Call 775-856-1000 or visit Nevada.redcross.org to learn more.
The Northern Nevada American Red Cross chapter area covers 87,000 square miles with a population of more than 670,000 people. Our chapter territory is from Tonopah north, with our main chapter in Reno and branch offices in Elko, Incline Village and Winnemucca.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information about becoming a volunteer, health and safety classes, or making a donation, call 775-856-1000 or visit our website at www.nevada.redcross.org.
