Contact:

Red Cross of Montana Matt Ochsner

www.montanaredcross.org Regional Communications Director
matthew.ochsner@redcross.org
406-552-2955

Volunteer with Montana Red Cross in the new year

GREAT FALLS, MONT., Jan. 18, 2023 — Still looking for a New Year’s resolution, and one that’s worth keeping?
How about volunteering with Montana Red Cross?

Each year, Red Cross volunteers help more than 500 Montanans following disasters like house fires, wildfires
and floods and help communities become better prepared and more resilient through its readiness programs.
Service to the Armed Forces teams provide support to 2,200 military families by teaching them how to cope
with the stresses of deployment and helping service members return home for a funeral or the birth of a child.

About 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers in communities big and small across the state, and
there are opportunities for almost any interest or skillset.

Here are just a few of the volunteer options:

• Disaster Action Team members: These volunteers help meet families’ most immediate needs like
food, clothing and shelter following a disaster, and just as importantly, provide emotional support and
a shoulder to lean on.
• Service to the Armed Forces caseworkers: Help members of the military, veterans and their families
prepare for and respond to the challenges of military service. These volunteers provide critical services
with a caring touch to military families by connecting them with local, state and national resources.
• Preparedness team member: From helping install free smoke alarms in homes to teaching
schoolchildren how to be ready for an emergency, these volunteers help reduce the risk of disaster
and help families be ready when the sirens sound.

To learn more about these volunteer opportunities and explore what other options are available – including
volunteer work that can be done from your home – visit redcross.org/volunteer or call 800-272-6668. Training
is provided and the payoff is priceless.

“I love it,” longtime Red Cross volunteer Vicky Johns said. “You feel good at night when you go to bed and can
say that you made someone’s life a little bit better.”

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent
of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military
members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity
of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or
facebook.com/redcrossmontana.