Louisiana Red Cross Needs Volunteers After Ice Storm

When winter weather leaves families without power and heat, communities pull together to help. The American Red Cross Louisiana Region is asking residents to volunteer at emergency shelters opened after this week's ice storm.

Kenneth St. Charles, regional CEO of the Red Cross, says volunteers are needed for everything from overnight shelter shifts to delivering supplies like water and blankets. Some helpers will prep vehicles for emergency response while others work directly with families seeking warmth and safety.

The organization already has enough staff for existing shelters, but widespread power outages may require opening additional locations. Current shelters might also need to stay open longer than expected, stretching volunteer resources thin.

"We have enough volunteers to run the shelters initially," St. Charles explained. "But with all of the power outages, we may have to open more shelters, and we may have to keep the ones open longer than we have."

Here's the best part: you don't need experience. Entry-level positions like shelter volunteer or distribution site helper require only about two hours of training. That training happens online, so new volunteers can complete it from home before heading out to help.

The Ripple Effect

When disaster strikes, volunteer networks become lifelines for entire communities. Each person who signs up multiplies the Red Cross's ability to reach more families in need. One volunteer staying overnight at a shelter means dozens of people sleep safely in warmth instead of shivering in dark, cold homes.

These volunteers also free up experienced staff to handle complex logistics, allowing the organization to scale up operations quickly when weather conditions worsen unexpectedly.

The call for help comes as Louisiana continues recovering from the storm's impact, with many areas still without electricity. Every new volunteer means another family gets the support they need during one of winter's toughest moments.