Requirements
The basic requirements from The HUMMER Club, Inc. are:
- You must be a current member in good standing of the HUMMER Club, Inc. If you are spouse or sibling of a member of The HUMMER Club, please provide the members name and member number.
- You must have or obtain "trail endorsement" including a component on radio protocol through the Club within one year of membership in the program. The trail endorsement certifies that you are proficient in basic off-road skills including recovery techniques.
How Do I Apply
Start by downloading and printing one of the following HOPE Application Packets:
 MS Word format (doc) |
 Adobe Acrobat Format (pdf) |
The documents in the packet describe exactly what you must do, but below is a summary of what will be required of you:
- A copy of your driver's license.
- Proof of car insurance.
- A copy of your Department of Motor Vehicle driving report. This can be obtained at your local DMV for $4-$10.
- A copy of your First Aid and CPR/AED training certification. If you don't have American Red Cross provided certification, send a copy of the certification you do have. If you need to take this training, your local Red Cross chapter provides classes for a nominal fee.
- Copies of EMT and First Responder certificates or any other related certifications, if relevant.
- A copy of the "Intro to Disaster Services" course evaluation that you performed online here.
- A signed copy of the Red Cross Code of Conduct.
- A completed copy of the Red Cross HOPE Volunteer Application (used to apply as a volunteer in the St. Joseph Chapter; you will eventually have to become a volunteer in your local chapter)
- HOPE program fee of $55.00 to cover the costs of the HOPE program shirt and Red Cross first aid kit and door magnets that must be carried in your truck at all times during a disaster response.
- Your HUMMER Club membership number.
- Trail Endorsement or willing to obtain necessary training within one year.
- Passport style/quality photo for use on an American Red Cross ID Card (when they become available). Please e-mail this to hope@stjoe-redcross.org (you will need to use your own e-mail client to send the image to us).
What happens once all paperwork and requirements have been fulfilled?
When all paperwork and Trail Endorsement classroom training is complete, you will be a member of the St. Joseph Chapter of the Red Cross and a full member of HOPE.
You will then receive your HOPE kit in the mail. This kit will contain door magnets for your HUMMER, a HOPE shirt, a Red Cross first aid kit, as well as a HOPE membership certificate.
After this application is processed and you are a St. Joseph Chapter member, a staff member of the St. Joseph chapter will contact your local Red Cross chapter notifying them of your status and explain the HOPE program if necessary.
Next your local chapter should contact you to arrange for you to apply as a volunteer. You will be asked to come in for an interview where you and the local chapter will identify scenarios where your services as a HOPE volunteer can be utilized in your geographic area by the chapter. You will likely need to take a variety of different training courses before you considered qualified to perform certain duties. Work with your volunteer coordinator to develop a training plan. Once you meet the chapter's training requirements, you'll be ready to deploy.