Red Cross aids homefront communication for military

The American Red Cross is seeking more volunteers for its Service to the Armed Forces Hero Care Network, which helps families communicate with military service members in emergencies. Todd James, executive director of the North Central Ohio chapter, said the service is as vital as any other the Red Cross provides, but "probably the least visible or well known to the public at large." James said the American Red Cross has partnered with the military since its inception, having been "born on the battlefield." He noted that Henry Dunant, who had founded the international Red Cross, rallied townspeople to go out and take care of the wounded on both sides following the Battle of Solferino. The International Committee of the Red Cross website states that Dunant, who was Swiss, wrote "A Memory of Solferino" after being present at the end of the 1859 battle, part of the second War of Italian Independence. His writings "eventually led to the creation of the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, the future International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)," the website states. Clara Barton, who had been a nurse during the Civil War, then founded the American Red Cross in 1881 after becoming familiar with the Red Cross in Europe. The American Red Cross' Congressional charter mandates that the organization provide two services, James said. One is disaster relief; the other is emergency communications to the military. James said the Red Cross supports those serving in the military in other ways, such as its resiliency programs and the Holidays for Heroes programs. But the Red Cross is also the only organization responsible for emergency communications between military service members and their families, he said. Of course, communication today is much easier than it was when the organization was founded. But even if a family can get in touch with their loved one who is in the military without assistance, the Red Cross still plays the role of officially requesting the service member's presence at home in an emergency. The family calls the Red Cross, and a volunteer will contact the doctor, hospital or, if the emergency is a death in the family, the funeral home. After verifying the information, the Red Cross volunteer then communicates with military command. Military command will officially notify the service member, though most are already aware with modern communications, James said. Military command then also decides whether to grant emergency leave. The volunteer also stays in touch with the family, to let them know how communication efforts are going and to ask how the Red Cross can support them on the homefront, James said. The North Central Ohio chapter, which encompasses seven counties, provided 480 services to service members and their families last year, James said. This figure also includes other types of help, such as with initial deployment training, but James said the majority were related to emergency communications. (Last year, the American Red Cross handled almost 95,000 of these emergency communications requests nationwide, James said.) These volunteers work from home, and the role requires about two to four hours per week. The Red Cross will provide training, most of which is also virtual rather than in person. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least a year in the role. James said qualifications include being comfortable with computer technology, having "good listening skills" and being able to be empathetic. "You're working with families that are in crisis," after all, he said. To learn more, call 419-422-9322 or visit www.redcross.org/herocarevolunteer Arthurs: 419-427-8494