In the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, the author Mitch Albom tries to show how ordinary people can have a profound impact on the world around them. I don’t think there is a better example of this phenomenon than at the Red Cross

 

During the recent outbreak of disasters, the number of people who stepped up, pitched in and accomplished truly amazing things was staggering. I don’t know if people on the ‘outside’ experience the same sensation as you do if you are a responder for the Red Cross, but I can share my perspective. There is this sense, when you are in the middle of a disaster response, that you are part of something really impressive - this massive mobilization of people helping people. Occasionally you take a step back and see the army of Red Cross volunteers and staff working at a fever pitch to do whatever they can to ease suffering, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, provide money for clothing or just offer a shoulder to lean on – you might take a moment to smile at what you see – then it’s right back to work.    

 

It is often only after the crisis has passed that you can truly appreciate the small moments that are part of the whole. These small moments are the ones that take your breath away and change your view of the world.

 

At our monthly Disaster Action Team (DAT) meeting in St Louis last week, we got the opportunity to share some of the experiences we had as we helped with the disaster response(s). There were stories of long shifts, hot days in the sun and sleeping on cots. But most of the stories were of the small things – the little boy who hugged a volunteer for giving him a broom so he could help clean up his house after a tornado; the overwhelming welcome that clients and staff received from a church in southern Illinois; and the heartbreak of talking to a 7-year-old who watched Mommy blow away in a tornado. 

 

It is those moments that make you realize the truly, truly amazing people you meet at The American Red Cross. These are people who have busy lives and yet find the strength and the heart to voluntarily give their time and talents for the benefit of others. I don’t know who all I will meet if I make it to the Pearly Gates, but I know some of them will be wearing Red Cross vests. 

 

Lori