A $26,750 grant from the Walmart Foundation is providing three communities in the West End — Clallam Bay-Sekiu, Neah Bay and Queets — with emergency shelter trailers.
“The trailers will be primarily used for shelters,” said Michelle Kelley, director of the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the American Red Cross.
In November, a windstorm felled trees and caused power outages, while constant rain swelled rivers to flood levels, she noted.
“We had the potential to need shelters on the West End in areas where we couldn’t get to — we didn’t need them, thank goodness — but we had the potential for it,” Kelley said.
“Soon, these areas will have the ability to open up their own shelters.”
Open house Saturday
The first to be set up is in Clallam Bay, and the Red Cross will host an open house at the trailer at the Clallam Bay-Seikiu Fire Department, 70 Eagle Crest Way, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The other two trailers will be placed in Neah Bay and Queets by Jan. 31, once volunteers have been trained.
At the Clallam Bay-Sekiu open house, the Red Cross also will recognize the 18 volunteers from the Clallam Bay area who have trained to be emergency management volunteers, Kelley said.
A Philly cheese steak sandwich fundraising lunch will be held during the open house. Proceeds from the lunch will go to the Northwest Burn Foundation’s Give Burns the Boot campaign.
Serve 25 people each
Each of the trailers — which cost about $8,000 apiece — can shelter up to 25 people.
The trailers are stocked with cots, blankets, personal care kits, cooking materials and a generator.
The trailers mean that Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers can open shelters and help their neighbors until more help arrives.
“One thing that is really important is that we are always in need of more volunteers,” Kelley said.
“It is so important, especially in situations like last month, where there are so many issues in so many different places. We had people whose roofs were blowing off, who really needed somewhere to be.
“There are other people who could have potentially needed more help because medically they shouldn’t be in the wet and cold.”
Another need is donations, Kelley said.
“We could not make things happen without the support of our local communities.
“If people could consider giving a small gift during the holiday season, it would be so important.”
The Red Cross trains disaster volunteers free of charge. Those who want to volunteer to be a member of a Disaster Action Team can phone the chapter and ask for Don Zanon.
To donate, volunteer or take a class, phone the Red Cross at 360-457-7933 or 360-385-2737.
For more information, see www.peninsularedcross.org.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
