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As the rivers begin to rise after spring rains in Claiborne County, Bill Page begins to think about how to provide shelter if families are evacuated from their homes.

“We always hope for the best, but floods and tornados seem to come frequently to our area,” said Page.

He and the other Red Cross volunteers in our county are ready if needed but, they need more help.

Page works in several ways. Weekly, he meets with military families when they attend swearing in ceremonies. He helps them understand the role of the Red Cross in communicating family emergencies to the military. Knowing how to contact the Red Cross quickly can bring peace of mind and often enables the presence of the military family member when emergencies happen.

During 2019, the Red Cross provided 68 emergency services to 22 Claiborne County families with an active duty military family member.

Page has been trained to respond in disasters. He, along with other Red Cross volunteers, have opened several shelters in the county, over the years. He also responds 24 hours a day to provide emergency assistance when a family loses their home in a fire. He talks with the family to verify their needs and then helps with food, shelter and clothing to meet the emergency.

During 2019, 15 Claiborne County families needed the Red Cross after a flood or fire destroyed their home. Wendy Monada, another Claiborne County Red Cross volunteer, manages a disaster preparedness program for children. Known as the “Pillowcase Program,” it teaches children how to prepare in their home to respond to a family disaster. In Claiborne County, 192 children and their families benefited from this program last year.

In addition to these programs, 9 smoke alarms were installed in county residences, free of charge. And, 294 individuals benefited from taking CPR, First Aid or Water Safety training.

Training is available for volunteer positions right here, inside the county. To join Page, Monada and the other Red Cross volunteers, contact Adrian Riser at 865-599-6774 or adrian.riser2@redcross.org

To learn more about the Red Cross in Claiborne County, or to access services, call 423-765-4222. You can also check out the American Red Cross of Northeast TN by visiting www.redcross.org and entering your zip code.

The American Red Cross is not a government agency. It is funded entirely by donations from many individuals and local organizations. You can make a financial contribution at the web address.

For more information contact: Heather Carbajal, Executive Director, Northeast TN Chapter of the American Red Cross via email at: heather.barnescarbaj@redcross.org. Or, call her at: 423-863-0200.