A rainy Saturday in Northwest Montana and a couple of dozen volunteers are sitting in a classroom at the Kalispell Red Cross attending Disaster Services Response Team training.

The rainfall is light, a world away from the hurricane conditions faced two weeks earlier by the victims of Katrina - victims these students are hoping to help.

Why do it? Why give up three weeks of your life and a comfortable home to go live in a Red Cross shelter 2,500 miles from Montana alongside of people who no longer have any homes at all?

"No matter where it is, it is still our community," said Jean Agather, a 57-year old volunteer.

Cindy Burns is a program specialist with the Kalispell Red Cross. She is the person who will review the 12-page service application completed by each of Saturday's students after the conclusion of the eight-hour class.

"Today's class has three sessions:

: introduction to disaster services, an overview of mass care and then a unit on shelter operations," Burns said.

"In filling out the application after the class, we want people to look carefully at the deployment they're facing. Their whole lives during that three-week period will be working, living, eating and sleeping with people 24/7 in these shelters."

Burns said this is both physically and emotionally challenging. Volunteers must walk a narrow line between being warm and being over-involved. Mental health counselors will be available both during and after the conclusion of their deployment.

"You cry a lot," Burns said. "But you also must remember how to laugh."

Tears, laughter and anxiety. Most of the volunteers admitted to more than a little nervousness about what they were setting off to do.

Rosemary Deering, 51, is an office manager. "Oh yes, I was scared when I first thought about doing this. And I asked myself, 'Can I really do this?' So then I thought some more and finally I answered, 'Yes, I can do this and I will do this.'"

Deering said her husband had been 100 percent supportive of her efforts.

"I think we all should be a little scared and apprehensive," said Susie Nolde, 61. "It's sort of like going on stage when you've got really bad stage fright. All of this experience opens you up to be receptive and aware."

Volunteers need to be prepared to do "whatever is necessary," Burns said. And that involves everything from cleaning bathrooms and kitchens to cooking food to being big brothers and sisters.

Bobbie Anderson, 36, is a full-time mother of five. "I was watching TV about all those kids down there and I realized that if I was in that situation with my kids, I'd want someone to help me out," she said. "I've thought about this a lot and I don't want to be the kind of person who had the ability to help someone and just didn't go and do it."

"Oh, and if you are not prepared to get dirty, don't even think of going."

Anderson said that her husband, who is in construction, is hoping to help out during the rebuilding stage of the recovery.

Completing Saturday's class didn't guarantee any of the volunteers a deployment to the disaster areas. Approximately one-third of applicants don't pass the final screening, primarily due to health reasons, Burns said.

"But this doesn't mean they can't play a role in the Red Cross within the state," she said.

Burns will send the approved volunteer applications on to Red Cross national headquarters, where they'll be dropped into a national data base. Depending on the needs of the organization, volunteers are usually called within one to seven weeks.

"Some may be deployed locally," Burns said. "They're not being trained specifically for Katrina. They're being trained for disaster services wherever and whenever they are needed.

"We're looking for competency, compassion, the ability to learn and to work long, hard hours. There are also health risks involved."

Mary Jordan is a retired horse trainer and vocational tech teacher who has her own approach to risk-taking. "I'm not affiliated with any church, but Jesus did say, 'Love one another as I've loved you,'" she said.

"You know, as I get older, I realize just how important it is that we do exactly that."

SIDEBAR: The Kalispell Red Cross will offer two additional Disaster Services Response Team training classes in September.

The Sept. 22 class is currently full, but names are being accepted for the waiting list.

The Sept. 29 class is still open.

Cindy Burns, Red Cross program specialist, said that if the response for volunteer training is overwhelming, she will add more classes.

For registration information: 752-6433