The American Red Cross provides a variety of volunteer opportunities to Jefferson County residents through its service center in Arnold. During a live KJFF Radio Interview on July 14, Melinda Mudrovic, a Red Cross volunteer from Jefferson County, joined Joanne Buttice, director of volunteer resources for the St. Louis Area Chapter, to focus on the importance of volunteers to the organization.

The two encouraged local residents to get involved by supporting the Red Cross mission to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.

The Red Cross provides comprehensive training for its volunteers, offering a way to make a positive and direct impact in the lives of others. Last year, because of the dedication of hundreds of local volunteers, the St. Louis Area Chapter was able to touch the metropolitan area more than 407,000 times through a variety of programs and services.

Mudrovic described her childhood aspiration to one day become a volunteer. In the days following Hurricane Katrina last August, she contacted the Red Cross and sought training to volunteer regularly through the Jefferson County Service Center. Mudrovic is now an experienced Red Cross caseworker and awaits her first deployment on a national disaster relief assignment. Her volunteer service is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

As a member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, Mudrovic provides immediate emergency assistance on the scene of a disaster, including food, clothing and shelter. Locally, Mudrovic responded to the tornadoes that impacted much of the area in early spring, and she regularly responds to the scene of local fires and other emergencies.

Each year, the St. Louis Area Chapter helps more than 1,000 families who lose their homes to fire throughout the metropolitan area. Disaster Action Team volunteers are vital, as they provide the necessary and immediate support to get families on the road to recovery.

National deployments are also a possibility for Red Cross volunteers. Most recently, seven volunteers from the metropolitan area deployed to help in the aftermath of extensive flooding in New York and Pennsylvania. At any given time, more than 300 highly trained local volunteers remain on standby for national deployments.

In addition to disaster response, the Red Cross is also involved in disaster preparedness. During the next several years, the Chapter will focus on increasing the number of local disaster volunteers as part of an aggressive initiative to further prepare the Red Cross and the community to respond to a major disaster.

The Red Cross Community Disaster Education Program is an important way for volunteers to reach the community with the preparedness message. Right now, the Jefferson County Service Center is looking for volunteers to lead preparedness presentations that focus on earthquakes, fires, tornadoes and other disasters. These presentations prepare individuals and businesses for the unexpected.

Opportunities for volunteer health and safety instructors are also available. Each year, hundreds of Jefferson County residents are trained by the Red Cross in CPR and first aid. These classes are offered at the service center in Arnold and develop the skills that are necessary to save a life.

Awareness events are a unique opportunity to introduce the Red Cross to the community. Red Cross volunteers often staff informational booths and distribute brochures and other educational materials that feature programs and services. Volunteers answer questions as they talk about the many ways the Red Cross serves the county.

Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. Volunteers are an important part of staffing blood drives by welcoming donors, ensuring they are comfortable and thanking them for giving the gift of life. Buttice and Mudrovic emphasized the current blood shortage and encouraged listeners to call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule an appointment. Each donation has the potential to save up to three lives.

As the interview wrapped up, Buttice and Mudrovic encouraged listeners to contact the Red Cross through the Jefferson County Service Center for more information on volunteer opportunities. Individuals may call the center at 636.464.9150 or log on to www.redcrossstl.org .

The next Red Cross interview will air live on KJFF (1400 AM) at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 11.

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