Guest blog by Randie Anderson, Public Affairs Coordinator in Alberta
It was supposed to be a normal morning at the office. I should have known that when working at the Red Cross, everything can change in moments. In the early hours of August 2nd, an apartment fire ripped through the Bethany Seniors home in Edmonton, Alberta – displacing all of the residents.
Ronnie (left) and the Red Cross' Randie Anderson (right) puruse Walmart for the perfect nightgown.
Hours after the sirens and media glare, I walked down the aisles of Walmart as part of a group accompanying the fire-affected seniors to the retail giant in search of replacement clothes. While some seniors had friends and family to turn to, Red Cross provided those that didn’t with clothing vouchers, accommodation, food and hygiene kits.
Red Cross vests can be deceiving.
“I need to find some shoes,” a voice asked before realizing I was actually Red Cross personnel. I recognized Ronnie right away. Her nightgown and fuzzy slippers were a dead give-away. While personal shopping lies outside the duties of a typical Red Cross responder, Ronnie warmed my heart when she squeezed my hand, acknowledging my Red Cross vest, and I found myself walking alongside her.
“It was scary,” she recalls. “We had to get up in the middle of the night and had no idea what was happening.”
As I listened to her story, Ronnie placed a pale pink nightgown into her cart. My personal shopper instincts kicked in.
“Can I be honest?” I asked.
“Of course!” She smiled.
“That colour will totally wash you out.”
We burst out laughing.
In that moment, we found ourselves enjoying a favourite pastime. I was able to provide an extra set of eyes to ensure she picked out what she wanted, an extra set of hands to reach those items that were too high or too low, and an ear to listen as she shared her story. I learned more than just what happened to Ronnie that night, I learned about her life, her family, what makes her laugh, and even received some relationship advice!
“Don’t ever lower your standards,” she advised.
A simple hand shake goodbye didn’t seem appropriate. Without hesitation we embraced in a hug. Ronnie thanked me for the assistance the Red Cross had provided, and to her surprise, I thanked her.
“Thank you Ronnie, for sharing your story.”