Join our Disaster Welfare Support team!
Meet new people, gain a range of new skills and be there for your community. Join our team and be part of something great!
Role description
Disaster Welfare and Support Team members are highly committed, skilled volunteers who provide welfare assistance to people affected by emergencies and disasters.
Disaster Welfare and Support Team members may undertake a variety of tasks, such as conducting community-based needs assessment and outreach, providing psychosocial support, supporting the distribution of household goods and providing support to evacuees at emergency civil defence centres.
Team members will undertake most of their training and work in their local area but may be mobilised to support New Zealand Red Cross’ response to an emergency event elsewhere in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Your Tasks
- Setting up and providing support in evacuation centres.
- Undertaking needs assessments to understand what support people need.
- Providing psychosocial support.
Volunteer requirements and training
You’ll receive training in comprehensive first aid, psychological first aid, welfare support, and other essential skills for the role. Our teams train regularly and sometimes take part in scenario-based exercises with other response teams.
We need you to be a good communicator and able to commit to your team for at least 12 months – some of our volunteers have been with us for more than 20 years.
Our volunteers need to be available to deploy for up to five days (excluding travel days) when responding to emergencies. Often employers see value in the training the team members receive and proudly support their staff in the welfare disaster team to enable them to remain flexible during emergencies.
Your tasks
You could be deployed to assist in a flood, fire or other large-scale emergencies, and you’ll help with a range of activities that could include:
- Setting up and providing support in evacuation centres
- Undertaking needs assessments to understand what support people need
- Providing psychosocial support
We have 20 teams around the country that are prepared to help in their communities or in neighbouring regions at short notice. Teams are listed by their regular training location.
The teams train regularly in both Onekawa, Napier & St Leonard's, Hastings.
Support your community during an emergency. Join your local Disaster Welfare and Support Team (DWST) and help people prepare for disasters and to get through when an emergency or disaster happens.
Volunteer requirements and training
You’ll receive training in comprehensive first aid, psychological first aid, welfare support, and other essential skills for the role. Our teams train regularly and sometimes take part in scenario-based exercises with other response teams.
We need you to be physically fit, a good communicator and able to commit to your team for at least 12 months – some of our volunteers have been with us for more than 20 years.
Meet new people, gain a range of new skills and be there for your community. Apply to be a disaster welfare support volunteer now.