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Mike BarnettWhen looking for a place to volunteer after retirement, Independence resident Mike Barnett chose the American Red Cross for the variety of opportunities it offered. Since September 2005, Mike has worked for the Greater Kansas City Red Cross in two capacities – as a volunteer coordinator in the human resources department, and as a member of the Disaster Action Team (DAT) in the emergency services department.
“As a volunteer coordinator Mike is the front door for future Red Cross volunteers,” explained Cyndi Campbell, human resources manager. Sharing two days a week, Mike meets with an average of three to four individuals weekly who are interested in getting involved in their community through the American Red Cross. Over the span of a year, Mike will replicate himself by interviewing and placing 100 to 150 new volunteers into Red Cross programs and services.
Through this role, Mike educates interested parties about the training, time commitments, and responsibilities of the various volunteer positions. With his assistance, people are better able to determine where their talents, skills, and interests best match the opportunities.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting various people with a wide variety of backgrounds,” Mike said. “I am amazed by the variety of people that are interested in giving back to their community by donating their time to the American Red Cross.”
Mike also represents the face of the Red Cross in the community as a DAT volunteer. On average, DATs respond to two residence fires every day in the greater Kansas City area. Volunteers in this program list their availability on a calendar each month that determines who is called in the event of a local emergency.
On the scene, DAT volunteers assist those affected with immediate needs such as food, clothing, and temporary shelter. In addition, the volunteers try to offer some comfort to the affected families.
“As a DAT, I enjoy being able to act and help make a difference to someone who really finds themselves in a predicament,” explained Mike. “After a fire, I try to imagine myself in their situation, and I don’t know how I’d cope. Where do you begin? It is good to know that I can be there to help people take that first step.”
Being on-call for the Disaster Action Team often means receiving calls in the middle of the night, during a holiday or in the dead of winter. The American Red Cross relies on these individuals to provide immediate needs services to members of our community in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Mike is always willing to help out when he can,” said Steve Leiker, operations manager, emergency services. “We even call him sometimes when he’s not on duty. Mike makes every effort to go out and help people.”
It is because of volunteers like Mike that the American Red Cross is able to be there to provide relief to members of our community after an emergency. If you are interested in learning about volunteer opportunities with your local Red Cross, please call (816) 931-8400.
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American Red Cross
Greater Kansas City Chapter
211 W. Armour Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111 USA |
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Phone 816-931-8400
Fax 816-531-7306 |
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