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news
Local
volunteers step up to help Red Cross
By Francis Ricafort
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
Echoing national
trends following Sept. 11, the Long Beach chapter of the American
Red Cross has seen an increase in volunteerism seven months
after the attacks.
The chapter has
seen an increase of more than 150 members, for a total of
1,750.
The Red Cross is
still sending relief volunteers to New York for family centers
and mental support for the victims.
"Immediately
after the attacks, we had an incredible response of volunteers,"
said Theresa Brunella, director of Community Outreach and
Volunteers for the Long Beach chapter of the American Red
Cross. "People were calling to offer their time, money
and resources to help the victims of the families."
One recent volunteer,
Michael Kohel, a retiree of the Walt Disney Co., has made
himself more readily available due to the attacks.
He had dedicated
his time to those in New York by visiting twice for six weeks
at a time. Kohel, who served in New York as a logistics director,
was responsible for handling and distributing donations from
different organizations.
"More people
should get involved with the community and the Red Cross,"
Kohel said. "We should help in some capacity."
Kohel had been
through some personal disasters himself, so he could relate
to what the victims are going through.
Other Long Beach
chapter volunteers, such as Cal State Long Beach alumna Priscilla
L. Schoch, were in New York as well.
Schoch, a 14-year
full-time volunteer and government liason for the Red Cross,
has never seen a disaster worse than this one.
"I've worked
in disasters since 1987, from level 5 disasters to hurricanes,
but this particular disaster changed me.
"Red Cross
volunteers have experienced a lot of bad things, this is the
ultimate disaster that they will ever see or feel."
Schoch was especially
proud of the work the Greater Long Beach chapter had done.
"The Long
Beach chapter was noted for being the No. 1 chapter in California
for having the most volunteers respond to New York, we're
very proud of that," Schoch said.
The volunteers
have said their experiences in New York have changed their
outlook on life.
"I think the
9/11 tragedy has made all of us appreciate life and our families
more," Brunella said. "We cannot take anything for
granted. Volunteers that went to New York say they have never
experienced anything like they did there."
Schoch agrees.
"This puts
into perspective what is important in life and what isn't,"
she said. "People are important, anything else after
that isn't."
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