Red Cross Offers Local AmeriCorps Positions

The American Red Cross has renewed its grant from AmeriCorps, a national service program, to take our life-saving information and training directly to the citizens of Ohio and invites interested applicants to apply.

The grant will allow the Red Cross to place 20 team members in Red Cross offices throughout Ohio, including placements in Marion and Morrow Counties.

Team members will participate in disaster response and preparedness activities, community disaster education and volunteer recruitment.  AmeriCorps service opportunities offer practical, on-the-job experiences for individuals looking to engage in public service while meeting the critical needs of the Red Cross. Members will receive the Segal Education Award, living allowance, health care coverage and free training.

A resume and cover letter can be sent to American Red Cross – AmeriCorps, 995 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43205.  Applications can be completed online as well. Visit http://columbus.redcross.org/join_americorps.asp or call Lynne Wise at (614) 253-2740, ext 2349 for additional information. All applicants must be available to begin serving on September 6, 2012. The deadline to apply is August 15, 2012.

Central Ohio is at risk for large-scale disaster events. both natural and man-made;  Federal officials in charge of forecasting potential Mass Destruction and Terrorism  threats list the Columbus area  as one of the top 25 targets in the country. Our citizens need to prepare for and know how to respond to small emergencies and major disasters.  In addition, the Red Cross says residents need proper training to help a loved one, friend, or neighbor during an emergency, and community organizations need to work together during disasters in order to provide quick and effective service delivery to those affected.

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies.

• Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors —the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross.
• Through almost 900 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world.
• Some 4 million people give blood through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States.
• The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members and their families stay connected.
• As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people.
• An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs.

The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.