ANCHORAGE, Alaska, January 16, 2020 — As people prepare for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 20, the American Red Cross of Alaska encourages residents to volunteer through its Home Fire Campaign in Anchorage. Red Cross volunteer teams will be fulfilling appointments to install free smoke alarms and share home fire safety information with families across Anchorage on Monday.

Through the Home Fire Campaign’s year-round Sound the Alarm events, volunteers and community partners spend time both fulfilling appointments and going door to-door to install free smoke alarms, share fire safety information and help families create escape plans at homes in at-risk communities. Since launching more than five years ago, the campaign has installed more than 2 million free smoke alarms and saved nearly 700 lives nationwide. In the Anchorage area over the past 6 months, Red Cross volunteers have installed 482 free smoke alarms and made 161 homes safer in the process. Basic training is provided to volunteers; contact Sarah Leonard to get involved.

“Home fires are the most frequent disaster in Anchorage and our neighbors need our community’s support to help them and their families stay safe,” said Sarah Leonard, preparedness and casework specialist for the Red Cross of Alaska. “We encourage everyone to take part in this rewarding experience of teaming up with fellow volunteers and connecting with local families.”

HOW TO VOLUNTEER As the nation honors the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., there are many ways that you can help in your community. Get started by visiting redcross.org/Alaska. The Anchorage-area Red Cross team currently has high-priority openings for the following volunteer opportunities:

• Disaster Action Team (DAT) Member – DAT members ensure timely activation and monitoring of local and regional disaster responses. These volunteers respond to local home fires and provide comfort and assistance. The team works with those affected to ensure they have a safe place to stay and a plan for moving forward.
• Fundraising Grant Writer: This volunteer assists with research and documentation relating to grants and foundations. 
• International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Instructor: Basic Level Instructors are trained by the Red Cross to deliver basic-level IHL content within their local community. To learn more about IHL, please visit https://www.icrc.org/en.  
• Public Affairs Team Member: Experienced professionals or new graduates in media relations can put their skills and portfolio to work and help share the story of the vital humanitarian mission of the Red Cross of Alaska.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP Want to help in another way? You can make a financial donation to support the Red Cross mission by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 gift.

About the American Red Cross of Alaska:

In Fiscal Year 2019, the American Red Cross of Alaska responded to 435 disasters by offering food, shelter, relief supplies, comfort, hope and recovery services to 1,096 Alaskans in 50 communities statewide. Our preparedness teams installed 2,171 free smoke alarms and educated 1,409 youth through The Pillowcase Project. Our Training Services department enrolled 19,665 students in first aid/CPR/AED, aquatics and caregiving classes. Our Service to the Armed Forces staff exchanged 1,299 emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. In Fiscal Year 2019, our statewide workforce of 729 volunteers logged 40,735 hours in service to our mission and their fellow Alaskans. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Alaska or visit us on Twitter at @redcrossak.

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