Volunteer - Louisiana Flood Relief

List of Shelters Animal Shelters

RED CROSS:

The Red Cross organization is currently active throughout Louisiana helping those affected by the flood.

You can get started volunteering with the Red Cross by completing their online registration application here http://www.redcross.org/local/louisiana/volunteer, which includes the following:

Selecting a volunteer activity
Entering your contact information
Completing the Red Cross online orientation
Updating your volunteer profile
Reading and agreeing to the Red Cross policies
Authorizing a background check

Connect with Red Cross through Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossSELA/, or give them a call at (504) 620-3105 for updated volunteer times and locations. Those wanting to volunteer also can register at redcross.org/louisiana (click on Volunteer on right side). You can also call 855-489-2528 or sign up online at volunteerlouisiana.gov. To help people affected by the Louisiana Floods, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word LAFLOODS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recovery from these disasters.

SAMARITAN'S PURSE:

Volunteers must be 14 years or older. Samaritan's Purse International Relief is looking for volunteers to assist homeowners affected by the floods. Teams will be assisting with debris removal and mudouts. For more information, please click here.

OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL:

Operation Blessing will be accepting volunteers daily (Monday–Saturday) at 8 a.m. at the Denham Springs campus of Healing Place Church (569 Florida Ave SW). Orientation will begin at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, dress appropriately for work in the field, and also provide their own transportation to and from the work site. Operation Blessing will provide lunch, work assignments, management, and tools. For more information on how to volunteer, please call the OB Volunteer Hotline: 757-374-0944.

VOLUNTEER HOUSING: A limited amount of volunteer housing will be made available soon. Volunteers that need lodging must register 24-48 hours in advance. Please contact National Volunteer Manager, Kerry Dodson, to register for lodging at 757-226-3407 or via email at [email protected].

ST. JAMES PARISH:

Volunteers are needed at all locations to assist with sandbagging. Sandbagging will take place daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sand and bags for sandbagging are available at the following locations:

East Bank Locations:
- Grand Point Fire Station
- Behind Creole House Restaurant in Grand Point
- Young’s Kwik Stop in Convent
- First Community Antioch Baptist Church
- Gramercy North Airline Highway Fire Station (Near St. James Nursery)
West Bank Locations:
- King View Street Fire Station
- South Vacherie Fire and Rescue Training Center (Near Health Unit)

Sand and bags are available at all locations. Residents are encouraged to bring your own shovel and bag your own sand. These locations will have sand and bags delivered regularly throughout the day.

Volunteers should go to all locations to assist with sandbagging and not gather at one location so that we can fill as many sandbags as possible.

UNITED BLOOD SERVICES:

United Blood Services is calling on available area residents to help restore the blood supply. Cancelled mobile blood drives and donor center closures throughout the state have resulted in over 380 lost blood products, and that number will continue to grow. Their Baton Rouge donor center, located at 8234 One Calais, the service road at I-10 and Essen, will open Wednesday, August 17, Thursday, August 18, and Friday, August 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in an effort to start restoring the local blood supply. Each day they are evaluating the flood’s impact to the area and will update their operating hours on Friday.

Mobile blood drives continue to cancel at this time. The amount of blood products lost will continue to grow. The loss of blood products due to flooding is an added factor to an unusual decline in blood donations this summer. If you are in good health, are eligible to donate blood and can safely travel to our donor center, please make it a priority to do so.

Those who wish to donate may call 877-UBS-HERO (877-827-4376) or visit www.bloodhero.com to make an appointment to give.

Blood donation takes about an hour from check-in to refreshments. Donors can save about 20 minutes by completing their Fast Track Health History the day they donate. It’s at www.UnitedBloodServices.org.

Volunteer blood donors must be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Additional height/weight requirements apply to donors 22 and younger, and donors who are 16 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian.

Together Baton Rouge:

Together Baton Rouge is looking for volunteers to help with gutting homes. They will also need as many of the following tools as possible: hammers, crowbars and wonderbars, push brooms, trash/contractor bags, wheelbarrows, electric drills (with batteries fully charged), garden sprayers (pressurized sprayers for cleaning, not the attachment for a hose), utility knives (cutting carpet/sheetrock), gloves (work gloves, garden gloves, plastic gloves), safety glasses, masks.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

(Original Article thanks to WAFB. View full text here.)