Red Cross to train shelter volunteers ahead of active, busy hurricane season

This year, Red Cross chapters across the region are looking to train community members in shelter operations before disaster strikes.

The Hawaiʻi Red Cross is bracing for a busier than normal hurricane season, from June 1 to Nov. 30, as the Pacific is expecting an increase in hurricane and storm activity due to El Niño.

During an El Niño, the trade winds that help to steer storms away from the islands and prevent them from reaching dangerous heights weaken and can reverse direction to blow west to east.

With greater storm risk, the Red Cross is working to have a larger volunteer base to make sheltering operations as quick and efficient as possible. Shelter volunteers assist with daily operations of an emergency shelter after a major disaster, which can involve tasks such as registration, feeding, dormitory management, and maintaining a safe and comfortable environment.

The Red Cross Shelter Hero training is free and can teach volunteers to be crucial lifelines for people in need amid increasing disasters.

“This program allows community members to serve their own neighbors. Our goal is to have shelter volunteers available in all communities throughout our islands,” said Molly Schmidt, CEO of American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region. “This way in the case that access roads are cut off, we have volunteers within those communities who are trained and ready to respond.”

To learn more about the volunteer training, visit the Red Cross Pacific Island Region website.