MONTMORENCY COUNTY — In celebration of National Volunteer Appreciation week, April 27-May 3, Montmorency County American Red Cross Coordinators Joe and Tanya Blackmer want to thank volunteers and recruit new volunteers for the Disaster Action Team (DAT).

“Volunteers do work for free,” stated Tanya Blackmer. “But volunteers will tell you that they are well paid. They contend that the reward for their work is not money, but is instead, the satisfaction of helping others, active involvement in the community and the friendships that form through volunteer work.”

According to Blackmer, the theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week is “Volunteer to Change the World.”

“Without volunteers, the American Red Cross could not complete its mission to provide relief to victims of disasters, and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies,” Blackmer said.

“I’d like to give a very special thank you to the following Red Cross volunteers from Montmorency County: Larry Green, Ritch and Sandy Hoard and Dawn Showalter, all of Atlanta. And Marcia Bolser, Joyce Knasiak and Jil Schult, all of Lewiston. They have Volunteered almost 600 hours of their time to help change the world by responding to home fires to assist burn-out victims; by manning the booth at the Montmorency County Fair and promoting the ‘Name a Bear’ project so kids could have a bear to cuddle when their home burned, by being involved in fundraising activities, by manning a booth at Project Connect, for recruiting new volunteers and for driving the Red Cross Disaster trailer to other county disasters, to name just a few,” Blackmer added.

In addition to the local response, the Blackmers have volunteered their time by responding to national disasters. Tanya Blackmer responded to Coffeyville, Kan. in July for almost three weeks to provide mental health services to survivors when flooding hit the oil refinery community and surrounding areas.

Joe Blackmer responded to Perrysburg, Ohio in August for one week to be the Mass Care Liaison between the Red Cross and the Southern Baptist Mobile Feeding Units following a flood.

The Montmorency County Red Cross meets at the Full Gospel Assembly of God Church, West M-32 in Atlanta, the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

The Blackmers would like to extend an invitation to anyone interested in volunteering to help “change the world” to contact them at 785-2985.

Contact Jil Schult at 748-4518 or jil@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

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