Neighborhood residents and hospital personnel are invited to become fully trained Red Cross Disaster Reserve Volunteers by attending the free Red Cross Disaster Reserve Volunteer Institute from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If a major natural or man-made disaster strikes our area, the American Red Cross in Greater New York will need 10,000 Disaster Reserve Volunteers ready to staff up to 100 shelters and provide hundreds—or even thousands—of New Yorkers who may be forced to leave their homes with their basic needs—food, clothing, a safe place to stay and emotional support.