Red Cross Will Sponsor Training for Volunteers

In response to a surge of calls from Vineyard residents wanting to help with disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Martha's Vineyard Chapter of the American Red Cross will offer a special training session for volunteers on Saturday.

The all-day training will be held tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging on Wamsutta avenue. Spanish-speaking trained personnel are needed. For more information call 508-696-0092.

The Vineyard chapter has also begun disaster relief fund-raising activities to help meet the enormous need. Red Cross leaders say the best way to contribute is by making an online contribution at www.redcross.org. Donations may also be mailed to the Martha's Vineyard Chapter ARC, P.O. Box 1116, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. The telephone number to call for more donor information is 1-800-435-7669.

"We can make a difference, by responding to those who so desperately need our help, now," said Deborah Medders, executive director of the Vineyard chapter, in a statement issued this week.