After visiting family in Tulsa over the first weekend in May, I was called to be deployed to Fredericktown, MO for a disaster assignment: there were power outages due to storms. I went to Fredericktown with Roland Jackson, another Red Cross volunteer, on the ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) where we met other Red Cross volunteers.

We first went to the feeding site that was at the First Baptist Church of Fredericktown, where the Red Cross had partnered with the Division of Family Services to provide meals. We served over 10,000 meals and snacks for the week I was in Fredericktown. In addition to the feeding site, services provided by the American Red Cross included distributing bulk items such as clean up kits, rakes, shovels and gloves.

The American Red Cross also sent outreach teams into the affected communities. The partnerships we saw were amazing! Americorps members from the St. Louis Area Emergency Response Team helped by distributing food, cleaning up debris, and cutting down trees. The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Team brought in chainsaw crews. The Division of Family Services and volunteers from the County Extension Office, residents of Fredericktown, and First Baptist Church members all chipped in to staff the feeding site for almost 16 hours a day.

This was another amazing experience with the American Red Cross for me as an Americorps member, but my time as an Americorps member is almost up! So, I definitely recommend checking out the Americorps positions if you are up for an exciting experience in a year of service. Call the Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 for more information.

Angela Hakim is an Americorps member for the St. Louis Area Chapter.