Red Cross Month recognizes volunteers who are on call 24/7 to respond to disasters

March is Red Cross Month, which celebrates the thousands of volunteers who respond locally and nationally to different disasters.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — March is Red Cross Moth, which celebrates the thousands of volunteers who respond locally and nationally to different disasters.

There’s more than 1,000 active volunteers in the Central South Carolina Red Cross Chapter. Last year, those volunteers helped nearly 2,500 people after disasters in the Columbia area.

“Red Cross is to provide hope,” said Steve Shumake, a Red Cross Disaster Action Team Coordinator.

Although volunteers respond to different types of disasters, the majority of calls are for home fires.

“I would say on average, maybe five or six per month? Maybe one or two during the week. But they  sort of get a little heavy when we get into certain seasons of the year,” said Shumake.

“It also gives you a sense that this could happen to anybody,” said Jack Nemetz, a volunteer with the Disaster Action Team.

There are volunteers on call who respond 24/7, to help people get through the tough times.

“And all of a sudden you’re displaced, you have nothing to do, everything you own is in it. It’s a time when the Red Cross can really help out. It’s really good helping out people after they’ve had a house fire,” said Nemetz.

Volunteers said it’s rewarding to help people in the community, and to comfort them in the moments after a disaster.

“And sometimes people will come up to you after and say ‘Can I give you a hug?’ and you’re like ‘sure, give me a hug,’ so you know at that point in time you’ve done something that’s really helping them out,” said Nemetz.

“It’s a great sense of reward, to be able to see even some people when you’ve been two or three weeks away from their situation and you see them in the grocery store in your local community, and they say thanks for helping me out. It just wells up within you,” said Shumake.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. McMaster will join members of the Red Cross at the State House and recognize and proclaim March as Red Cross Month.

If you’d like to get involved with the Red Cross as a volunteer, click here for more information.