Eielson Red Cross faces foreclosure if no volunteers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Emergency financial aid, counseling, employment assistance, emergency communications and more.

These are some of what the American Red Cross provides, but without volunteers Iceman will have to travel elsewhere to receive services currently offered at Eielson Air Force Base.

Some people may associate the Red Cross with the emergency notifications they are responsible for such as when a servicemember's family passes or the other end of the spectrum, when a baby is born and the military member is deployed, but that is not all the Red Cross offers.

There are times an emergency trip home is in order and the assistance given by the Red Cross may make the difference between saying goodbye to a loved one versus not having enough money to make it in time. There are times that bills threaten to overwhelm and in certain situations Red Cross may be able to provide the relief needed.

While the list of what the Red Cross can help with is plentiful, it's not possible without those who offer their time for what may consider the greater good.

The station chairman at Eielson is soon to change stations with her family, leaving the Eielson office vacant.

The volunteer position(s) does not have to be a full-time thing nor does it have to be just one person filling it.

"We may not be able to man the Eielson office constantly like we do now," said Mrs. Achman, Fort Wainwright Red Cross station manager, "but if we had multiple volunteers to answer the phone and go to luncheons that would be great."

The volunteer position(s) would include setting up fundraisers, helping servicemembers and families in need, being the Red Cross representative at banquets and luncheons and briefing the First Term Airmen Center about Red Cross services.

The impact to the Eielson community if there was no Red Cross, would be that every member of the community in need of Red Cross assistance would have to drive to Fort WW or coordinate through Fort WW Red Cross for any needs.

Mrs. Achman said that they would hate to see the Eielson office close since that would take away the convenience factor for those stationed there. When you have a crisis having the accessibility the Eielson office can bring is important.

The office is flexible to volunteer schedules and the training is short and free, she added.

"If someone could only afford to work on a Tuesday, then that's the only day they would be working--if they wanted to work more, then great." she said. "The training to become a volunteer is absolutely free and only takes eight hours, and that doesn't have to be at once, it can be split up between days at a time."

"We would like to get around five volunteers," said Cara Hurd, Eielson Red Cross station chairman. "That way we could have stable support to keep the Red Cross open for Eielson members."


To donate volunteer time or money to the Red Cross, contact Margie Achman at (telephone) 353-7234, (fax) 353-7333, (cell) 378-5471 or e-mail margie.achman@wainwright.army.mil.  For more information on the Red Cross in Alaska, visit www.alaska.redcross.org or www.wainwright.army.mil/redcross/.