As the U.S. Gulf Coast prepares for Hurricane Delta’s projected today’s landfall, the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross continues to need new volunteers to help the country respond to and recover from multiple back-to-back disasters. Since June, more than 100 Indiana Region volunteers have stepped up to respond to disasters, such as the derecho in Iowa, major hurricanes and tropical storms in the south, and devastating wildfires in the west.

Hurricane Delta compounds an already busy hurricane season, with nine named storms making landfall in the United States. States of emergency have been declared in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi ahead of Hurricane Delta; and some areas are especially vulnerable, as they are still recovering from previous hurricane damage.

The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross—which unfailingly sends disaster volunteers across the country in times of need—has fast-tracked its Disaster Action Team (DAT) training and set up virtual delivery capabilities. New volunteers can quickly learn basic response and recovery skills and be ready to deploy to a disaster location.

Before committing to training, disaster response volunteers should be willing and able to:

-Accept a two-week deployment;

-Live in a communal space (i.e., a shelter); and

-Work 12 hours per day, 6-7 days each week.

To join the Red Cross mission and receive expedited volunteer training to provide essential services to those in need, go to: www.redcross.org/volunteertoday or call (888) 684-1441. Or, there are other ways to help during this challenging time:

-Donate at redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help the thousands of individuals and families impacted by disasters in recent weeks.

-Schedule an appointment to donate blood at redcross.org/blood. The Red Cross urges eligible individuals in parts of the country unaffected by these disasters to give blood or platelets to help ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients in need. Through the Red Cross national inventory system, the Red Cross can move blood around the country to wherever and whenever it is needed most.