Word of the Day: Communication

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By Bridget Brown, Canadian Red Cross volunteer in Houston, Texas

"Anyone from Waterproof, Louisiana, please meet your party at gate 262.  That's anyone from Waterproof, Louisiana. The announcement blaring into the noisy sky of the   Houston Astrodome seemed to be an inappropriate joke.  But these announcements are lifelines for the thousands camped out in the Dome and waiting to make contact with family or friends.  So family members who arrive at the Dome, looking for loved ones have to rely on the PA system. 

The Astrodome is an enormous building, full of agencies and clients who just showed up. It is a tangled maze of services and activities so it’s tough to figure out who is doing what. Communication is a challenge, to say the least and information quickly becomes distorted as it runs through the shelter floor like some giant game of telephone. 

 The rumor mill was certainly fueled by the big name guests to the Dome. I can only report the ones I saw with my own two eyes:  Jada Pinkett-Smith, Senator Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Bill Cosby. By far the most significant visitor of the day was Oprah Winfrey. 

 I have to admit that I am a fan and  was excited to be assigned to follow her camera crew through the building.  Her palpable compassion made her the most charismatic person I've ever met, even when she was barking at her camera crew to avoid bumping people's beds as we walked through the floor and the crowd mobbed her. 

About two hours after that I was in the skyboxes of dome to speak with the public announcement operator, when Oprah and her crew snuck back inside. She took the PA mike, and began, in her trademark clear voice, “Hello everyone, this is Oprah Winfrey." 

I have never watched 3,000 people all turn around at the same time. It was the first announcement that everyone listened to in silence since I'd been in Houston. Oprah's simple message of hope and compassion instantly cut through the reams of information these people were so tired of fishing through. 

Ever since, I have not felt guilty about being unable to communicate the magic answer when a shelter client asks me a question.  Because as I witnessed from a skybox, a few words of sincere compassion come through much clearer.