Lisa Landry is an experienced Canadian Red Cross disaster response volunteer from Nova Scotia who is currently in New York to support American Red Cross operations. She recently sent us this dispatch from her deployment which offers a glimpse of what it’s been like for volunteers.
I am into day three and it has been very eventful. After arriving at the Disaster Response HQ in White Plains, I went through processing and was placed on a Mass Care Shelter Team. On Saturday alone, they processed over 500 incoming volunteers from all over the States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and of course, Canada.
Our first night was spent at a city run shelter for primarily homeless with some storm evacuees mixed in. We were assigned to help sign people in and out, along with various other tasks. Flexibility!!!! The next night we helped move people around in the shelter which was a high school right in the middle of Manhattan.
This afternoon, after a few hours of sleep at the hotel, we were told to pack. We were being moved to a ship on Staten Island, an area that was hard hit. I am finally getting a moment to write a little with blurry eyes and little sleep while sitting in the galley of a civilian run vessel that is primarily used for the US Marines when needed. My team, which we named 'The Breakfast Club' because of the eight very different personalities are waiting for our next assignment. Where it will be...can't wait to find out.
I haven't seen any of the devastation...but there is always tomorrow.
American Red Cross volunteers deliver meals to family in hard-hit Staten Island. Photo credit: Talia Frenkel/American Red CrossIf you want to support Red Cross relief efforts, you can donate here. Canadian Red Cross volunteers like Lisa regularly respond to disasters in their community. Find out how you can get involved.