Wharton Branch
Wharton County Branch Location:
116 E. Burleson St. #101
Wharton, TX 77488
(979) 531-1128
Monday-Friday 8AM - 5PM
Become A Volunteer!
Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers respond to disasters in Wharton County. A "disaster" is everything from a single-family fire (the most common) to a massive flood. Dispatchers in the County call the on-duty team members, who go out to the disaster site before the first responders leave. We meet with the victims to determine their immediate needs (food, shelter, and clothing), assess the damage to their residence, and then do our best to assist them. If needed, we also provide relief to the first responders (water, snacks, etc.). However, most events are easily resolved, so first responders rarely need relief.
Shelter Operations volunteers are trained to set up and run emergency shelters in Wharton County. Shelters are only opened during events which displace 8 or more people. Due to the infrequency of such events, the position of shelter volunteer is the least active.
Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteers continue the Red Cross’s century-old commitment to supporting our troops. We take emergency calls from the immediate families of Wharton County soldiers 24/7, and relay that information to our headquarters, verifying it if necessary. Our headquarters then relays it to embedded Red Cross staff, who make sure that the troops get their emergency messages. This provides military families with a secure and trustworthy link to their loved ones.
Our next volunteer orientation will be held on Monday, April 5th, at 6:30 PM in the municipal courtroom at the Wharton Police Station. Contact your Wharton County branch office for more information.
We Are Your Neighbors (Literally)
The American Red Cross is made up of many small chapters, and even smaller county branches. We are a volunteer-based and volunteer-run organization. Nationwide, 96% of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers. In Wharton County, we are all volunteers. Almost all of us have jobs, church, families, and other obligations to attend to, yet we all make time to serve our community by helping our neighbors. What we do:
- send out care packages to deployed Wharton County troops
- deliver emergency communications between the families of Wharton County troops and their loved ones all over the world
- teach health and safety courses to the community
- set up shelters and distribute water and food during major disasters
- respond to single-family fires, making sure that victims have shelter, clothing, and food before the fire engines leave.
