Building assessor departs to join army of volunteers

L. David Fleming left the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Tuesday morning for Baton Rouge, La. He'll arrive in Baton Rouge this morning to start his first day as a hurricane volunteer with the American Red Cross.

"It's a passion of mine to help people out," he said.

Fleming is trained in disaster assessment, CPR as well as first aid. He is a building assessor for the Missouri Department of Transportation, which gave him time off to volunteer. He anticipates using his assessment knowledge to look at buildings and homes in the hurricane-battered region to determine if they are habitable.

Fleming is one of five volunteers from the region bound for the disaster area, said Kristi Thurman, director of emergency services for the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri chapter.

Recruiting of volunteers will last for at least the next month, Thurman said.

The effort is occurring nationwide.

"This is probably going to be one of the largest efforts in the Red Cross' history with the number of volunteers that we are going to need for this response," said Amanda Lincoln, a Red Cross division specialist.

Tuesday the Southeast Missouri chapter received more than 30 phone calls from people trying to get in touch with friends and family in the affected areas. Thurman recommends trying to make those calls after 10 p.m. when the phone lines may not be as busy.

Sending an e-mail may be a better way to communicate, she said. Even in the absence of electricity, people may have access to a laptop or other means of connecting to the Internet, she said.

Those who can't volunteer can still help.

A donation to the local Red Cross chapter goes directly to the affected area. The Red Cross recommends that people not donate water and clothes because of the expense of shipping those items.

Sandra Miniutti, a spokeswoman for the independent charity evaluator Charity Navigator, recommends giving to an established charity and avoiding those created specifically for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. An established charity will know how to make the best use of the gift and will have an established infrastructure, she said.

Depending on the giver's confidence in the charity's ability to determine how to best use a gift, the giver may want to designate it to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Miniutti said to avoid telemarketers and giving out credit card information over the phone.

"Just hang up on those calls," Miniutti said.

People should send the money to the charity directly, she said. She also recommends taking time to investigate the charity and its financial history; and then following up in a few months to make sure the donation was put to use.

Interested volunteers can call the Red Cross at 335-9471 or go online to www.semoredcross.org for more information.

ameyer@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 127