The city's large pool of experienced volunteers helps aid recovery after the bridge collapse last week.
By Ben Arnoldy Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Minneapolis / As Dave Scharnhorst drove the final spans of the I-35W bridge last week he saw a construction worker run, then seem to shoot, into the air. In reality, the road underneath Mr. Scharnhorst's car had given way.
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As the scenes in Minneapolis played out on TV, people across Minnesota and the world would have the same urge to help.
Offers of aid spike after disasters, but first-response agencies sometimes struggle to accommodate these goodwill offers because the initial need is for trained, experienced volunteers. Minneapolis, however, leads the nation in volunteerism, providing a deep pool of veteran helpers when tragedy struck.
"Having a large corps of people who are trained and prepared has helped enormously," says Courtney Johnson, spokesperson for the Minneapolis-area American Red Cross.
More at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0808/p01s03-ussc.htm
