I am a proud member of the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and love being out in the trenches helping people. I was on the truck on New Year’s Eve night and responded to help in Sunset Hills after the tornado. In the days immediately afterward, it was amazing to be out with the clients - doing damage assessments, seeing up close and personal the damage done; it was life changing.

 

Fast forward a few short months later and the Good Friday tornadoes ravage the St Louis area. My first impulse is to grab my boots and hit the streets – only one problem – my cast won’t fit in my boot. I fractured my right foot a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I was frustrated because I thought I wouldn’t be able to help during such a time of need. I called in to Chapter Headquarters and asked if there was anything I could do – and surprisingly, I was assured that there is always a need for anyone willing to pitch in. 

 

I have never seen the operation from the inside - talk about eye opening. By the time I arrived on Sunday afternoon there was a well-oiled machine running in that office. Logistics, and Casework, and Disaster Assessment – oh my! The normally quiet office has been transformed into a whirlwind of well organized chaos. Staff members have actually been sleeping at the Chapter! Many of the staff even missed Easter and haven’t seen their own families in days. Despite the long hours, the millions of questions and countless details to attend to – everyone I have talked to in the last three days at Chapter Headquarters has been positive, upbeat and a joy to be around.   

 

Volunteers out in the field are often the most visible part of our disaster response. What few people realize is the amount of support that is required behind the scenes to fulfill the Red Cross mission. My broken foot gave me a precious opportunity to see that work. The staff is always quick to divert any praise given to the Red Cross to the volunteers. But this volunteer just wanted to take a few minutes and say thank you to the staff. Your hard work, dedication and compassion are truly staggering and reflect the highest ideals of the American Red Cross. 

 

Lori