WASHINGTON, April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross today announced a series of four Community Relations Liaison trainings as part of an initiative to build a more culturally competent organization. The training sessions aim to expand the diversity of its employee and volunteer cadre and enable the Red Cross to better reflect the diverse communities it serves. The two-day trainings began last week in Houston, Texas followed by sessions in Atlanta, Ga., San Francisco, Calif. and Chicago, Ill.
The Red Cross is recruiting up to 200 people, who will serve as Community Relations Liaisons, to participate in the trainings. Participants include Red Cross volunteers and employees and representatives from diverse organizations with which local Red Cross units work. This diverse group includes bi- lingual, seasoned leaders who will learn how to integrate new community partners into Red Cross operations and will focus on building and leveraging these local relationships so that they result in additional diverse volunteers, donors, partners, vendors and customers.
"Community partnerships of all kinds are vital to ensuring the Red Cross can fulfill its mission during times of disaster," says Joe Becker, senior vice president of Preparedness and Response for the American Red Cross. "These Community Relations Liaison trainings will help foster the ideal disaster response team of trained Red Cross disaster workers and community partners working together to help more of our neighbors during their time of need."
Funding for these trainings is being provided by The Home Depot(R) as part of a partnership between the two organizations to educate 1 million people on disaster preparedness and to support Red Cross disaster readiness efforts.
"The Red Cross greatly appreciates the generous support of The Home Depot and its shared commitment to diversity," said Mori Taheripour, vice president of Corporate Diversity for the American Red Cross. "These trainings will grow our corps of professionals who work in Red Cross units across the country to expand our ability to meet the needs of diverse individuals and communities."
"At The Home Depot, we are passionate about helping our neighbors and communities in times of need," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of Community Affairs for The Home Depot. "We are proud to partner with the Red Cross to recruit volunteers to help reach all members of the community, specifically where diverse populations are affected by disaster."
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
American Red Cross
