Red Cross efforts to be explained at session

Red Cross efforts to be explained at session

Representatives of the Montana Red Cross are working to tell the Hi-Line that their organization provides many services to people throughout the area.

They help connect families to people in the military during times of crisis. They provide emergency services to people who have faced fires, floods or storms. They conduct CPR and other health-related training programs that can be life-saving. And dozens of other serices are offered through the Montana Red Cross.

There are a handful of professional Red Cross employees in Montana, but they say that 99 percent of the work is done by volunteers. At present, there are only two volunteers in the central Hi-Line for the Montana Red Cross. There used to be a lot more, but for a variety of reasons, the number has shrunk.

Kevin Murszewski, the Montana Red Cross' Armed Forces volunteer liaison, said volunteers can offer a great deal to the community, but they can also receive a lot. They meet new people, feel a sense of self-satisfaction and develop a network of contacts.

That's one of the reasons the Red Cross is holding at public meeting at Havre High School at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Murszewski will talk about the Red Cross and what it does for the community. Organizers would like to hear from anybody who wants to know more about the Red Cross and the services it provides.

People may decide they want to volunteer, or if they don't have time, they may want to contribute, he said. But in any event, they will go away with a better idea of what the Montana Red Cross does.

Murszewski said people of all ages are welcome.

There are things high school juniors and seniors can perform. They would especially like to hear from Montana State University-Northern students. People training in law enforcement, emergency services and public speaking would gain tremendous experience, he said.

But older people, especially senior citizens, would find it valuable.

"We have some temporary work," he said. "Teachers who are off during the summer might find this valuable," he said.

Volunteers can do all kinds of work, he said.

Some are summoned by police or firefighters to help victims of natural disasters. For instance, when a fire destroys a home or an apartment complex, Red Cross volunteers work to find shelter for the displaced families, sometimes providing clothing and food.

Lori Grannis, the Red Cross community support director, said that during recent storms, interstate highways in the western part of the state were closed, and many motorists were unable to find places to stay for the night. Red Cross volunteers set up shelters.

The volunteer and fundraising efforts of the Montana Red cross are aimed at helping Montanans, she said. The parents group, the American Red Cross, serves the nation and the world.

"One hundred percent of the money raised by the Montana Red Cross stays in Montana," she said.

Representatives of the Montana Red Cross are working to tell the Hi-Line that their organization provides many services to people throughout the area.

They help connect families to people in the military during times of crisis. They provide emergency services to people who have faced fires, floods or storms. They conduct CPR and other health-related training programs that can be life-saving. And dozens of other serices are offered through the Montana Red Cross.

There are a handful of professional Red Cross employees in Montana, but they say that 99 percent of the work is done by volunteers. At present, there are only two volunteers in the central Hi-Line for the Montana Red Cross. There used to be a lot more, but for a variety of reasons, the number has shrunk.

Kevin Murszewski, the Montana Red Cross' Armed Forces volunteer liaison, said volunteers can offer a great deal to the community, but they can also receive a lot. They meet new people, feel a sense of self-satisfaction and develop a network of contacts.

That's one of the reasons the Red Cross is holding at public meeting at Havre High School at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Murszewski will talk about the Red Cross and what it does for the community. Organizers would like to hear from anybody who wants to know more about the Red Cross and the services it provides.

People may decide they want to volunteer, or if they don't have time, they may want to contribute, he said. But in any event, they will go away with a better idea of what the Montana Red Cross does.

Murszewski said people of all ages are welcome.

There are things high school juniors and seniors can perform. They would especially like to hear from Montana State University-Northern students. People training in law enforcement, emergency services and public speaking would gain tremendous experience, he said.

But older people, especially senior citizens, would find it valuable.

"We have some temporary work," he said. "Teachers who are off during the summer might find this valuable," he said.

Volunteers can do all kinds of work, he said.

Some are summoned by police or firefighters to help victims of natural disasters. For instance, when a fire destroys a home or an apartment complex, Red Cross volunteers work to find shelter for the displaced families, sometimes providing clothing and food.

Lori Grannis, the Red Cross community support director, said that during recent storms, interstate highways in the western part of the state were closed, and many motorists were unable to find places to stay for the night. Red Cross volunteers set up shelters.

The volunteer and fundraising efforts of the Montana Red cross are aimed at helping Montanans, she said. The parents group, the American Red Cross, serves the nation and the world.

"One hundred percent of the money raised by the Montana Red Cross stays in Montana," she said.