Emergency Preparedness and Response

(Updated September 22, 2005)

Web: www.apu.edu/katrina

Who: American Red Cross, San Gabriel Valley Chapter in collaboration with Azusa Pacific University

What: APU teams with the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross to recruit, train, and deploy thousands to the hurricane-affected Gulf Coast region. APU will serve as a training hub for the 35 cities and thousands of residents who comprise the San Gabriel Valley throughout the duration of the hurricane relief efforts.

Where: Azusa Pacific University, Felix Event Center, West Campus
701 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa, California

When: Additional training dates will be determined and posted on www.apu.edu/katrina/.

Why: The university community cannot ignore the great need for new volunteers. In alignment with the university’s mission and purpose, we are committing to recruit, train, and deploy volunteers for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we are called to a higher level of service for this unprecedented natural disaster,” said Ed Anderson, program services officer, San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. “I believe our collaboration with Azusa Pacific will become a long-term relationship as well as a best-practice.”

Facts: Volunteers will participate in two days of courses, including Red Cross Orientation, Introduction to Disaster Services, Shelter Operations, and Mass Care, to become certified for deployment. Following 1-2 days of training, relief workers must then be willing to serve for a minimum of 9 days and maximum of 21 days and be available for deployment within 24-48 hours of training. Participants must be at least 18 years old and in good health.

To volunteer, please call Azusa Pacific University at (626) 815-2077, visit www.apu.edu/katrina/, or email katrina@apu.edu.

To donate, make checks payable to American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. Mail checks to: Institute for Outreach Ministries, Azusa Pacific University, PO Box 7000, Azusa, CA 91702-7000.

The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross (www.sgvarc.org), headquartered in Pasadena, is a humanitarian organization with 1,500 volunteers. The chapter serves nearly 1.8 million people in 35 communities, providing relief to victims affected by disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 22 master’s degrees, and 6 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.