At Ames City Hall, they hope people will answer the call to volunteer -- literally. Nancy Long, Mary Kay Abbott, and Peggy Miller spend 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. staffing the city's hotline for flood recovery.
They said that on the first day (Wednesday) volunteers are the only ones who are calling. Hardly anyone who needs help has dialed (515) 239-5678. Long said, "That is very prominent, very dominant in this town. There is no shortage of volunteers."
If you have the time and the means, and if you know the person you're helping then disaster response coordinators say to "go for it." But if people want to help strangers, that's a different story.
Jody Dickhaut said, "Even though (volunteers) may have good intentions, if you were a home owner and I was just somebody with a pick-up and some rubber boots, and just coming down the street, you wouldn't know who I am."
Dickhaut coordinates Adventist Disaster Response. He said before anyone shows up to help with a disaster, they should first become affiliated. He said, "You can be affiliated through your local church, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army." Dickhaut also says, "For those folks who are going to go out and start mucking out basements and helping that stuff out, make sure their tetanus shots are up to date. Make sure that they know the right procedures so that they're not going to get hurt."
If you call the Ames hotline or the American Red Cross and you don't hear back right away, just be patient. Cassandra Nelson, a Red Cross spokesperson, said Colfax may not be ready to accommodate volunteers until early next week. In Ames, Abbott said to wait until they pair the resources with the need. "(Volunteers) may be called. Even next week," she said.
They said that on the first day (Wednesday) volunteers are the only ones who are calling. Hardly anyone who needs help has dialed (515) 239-5678. Long said, "That is very prominent, very dominant in this town. There is no shortage of volunteers."
If you have the time and the means, and if you know the person you're helping then disaster response coordinators say to "go for it." But if people want to help strangers, that's a different story.
Jody Dickhaut said, "Even though (volunteers) may have good intentions, if you were a home owner and I was just somebody with a pick-up and some rubber boots, and just coming down the street, you wouldn't know who I am."
Dickhaut coordinates Adventist Disaster Response. He said before anyone shows up to help with a disaster, they should first become affiliated. He said, "You can be affiliated through your local church, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army." Dickhaut also says, "For those folks who are going to go out and start mucking out basements and helping that stuff out, make sure their tetanus shots are up to date. Make sure that they know the right procedures so that they're not going to get hurt."
If you call the Ames hotline or the American Red Cross and you don't hear back right away, just be patient. Cassandra Nelson, a Red Cross spokesperson, said Colfax may not be ready to accommodate volunteers until early next week. In Ames, Abbott said to wait until they pair the resources with the need. "(Volunteers) may be called. Even next week," she said.
