On Jan. 5, a 30-foot break in the Truckee Creek levee flooded homes with three feet of water in Fernley, Nevada, forcing the evacuation of approximately 3,500 residents. The Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross has deployed local volunteers Carlos Barquera and Maria Hanson to assist with the relief effort and help families put their lives back together.
The GLBC volunteer team is scheduled to spend at least three weeks in Nevada helping victims of the floods with their immediate needs. They will act as case workers, helping families acquire assistance, financial aid, and mental health support.
“This assignment required highly trained, highly skilled volunteers and it was wonderful that the Greater Long Beach Chapter was able to meet the need,” said Priscilla Schoch, GLBC disaster human resources administrator.
Barquera and Hanson come to this disaster with a wealth of knowledge.
Barquera brings experience from volunteering at nearly 20 national assignments including the Southern California wildfires, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ivan, Texas floods and 9/11. Hanson, also a Long Beach resident, has been a volunteer since 2006 working both national and local disasters.
According to Public Support Assistant Amanda Wyatt, Red Cross volunteers make it possible to provide disaster relief, serve the military and their families, enable youth to learn leadership skills, train others in Red Cross fundamentals and teach life-saving CPR and first aid.
For information about becoming a disaster volunteer, call the Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross at (562) 595-6341.
