Red Cross chapters all over the state will participate in the annual “Hats Off” event in celebration of National Red Cross Month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at both Wal-Mart and the Kukui Grove Shopping Center. Off duty
Red Cross chapters all over the state will participate in the annual “Hats Off” event in celebration of National Red Cross Month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at both Wal-Mart and the Kukui Grove Shopping Center. Off duty firefighters, police and military will salute Red Cross in an effort to encourage the public to chip in a donation.
“All of the funds collected will stay on island to support local services for Kaua‘i County,” said Kaua‘i County director Julia Hall.
Hall became the Garden Island’s director for Hawai‘i Red Cross in December 2008.
“Disaster preparedness and disaster relief is something I take very seriously,” she said.
The Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides assistance for immediate emergency needs for free.
Before accepting her position as director, Hall was active as a Red Cross volunteer — having provided client care to victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She has not only volunteered her time for American disasters, but traveled to both Thailand and Shri Lanka to help after the tsunami.
“I call 2005 my year of disasters,” she quipped. “I feel blessed to have had that time in my life.”
Hall left a career in sales and marketing to move to Kaua‘i in 2007 where she accepted a position as grant writer for the Kaua‘i Food Bank. Three years ago she co-founded the non-profit organization, Shri Sai Healing Trust.
“It provides medical care and food to villages on the outskirts of cities in Southern India,” she said. “We began in 2006 and now have 300 doctors on call in 20 villages in six states.”
The director position for the Kaua‘i office seems tailor fit for Hall. In May she’ll coordinate her first disaster training class. The Disaster Services Volunteer Training is May 15, 16 and 17. The course will train participants for disaster services.
“Normally we only do this training in a disaster,” she said. “But we lost some of our disaster trained volunteers while the office shut down for two months last October.”
The training is free of charge and those interested can sign up tomorrow at the “Hats Off” event.
“Helping someone who has lost everything puts your own life in perspective,” she said. “When you have 200 cold, wet, hungry, confused people you realize how important training is. Non-disaster time is the perfect time to train. By the end of the weekend, you’ll be able to be on a DAT team.”
DAT stands for disaster action team.
“We don’t just respond to huge disasters,” Hall said of the Red Cross. “If someone loses everything in a fire, we provide the same assistance.”
When the Puhi multi-unit fire displaced a family last December Red Cross provided vouchers for food, clothing and bedding for family members. Every time 911 receives a call for a disaster the police and fire departments statewide call the Hawai‘i Red Cross to help the victims.
“When I was asked why I wanted this job as director I didn’t even have to think. Service,” Hall said. “I want to be in service to my community because we are all part of the same family.”
The Red Cross is not a government agency and does not receive national money for operational costs. The Kaua‘i office is subsidized by the state chapter.
“We are a universal organization and humanitarian aid is our mission,” Hall said.
• Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com
