In the year since the tragic train derailment impacted the community of Lac-Mégantic, the
Red Cross has been working within the community to help rebuild and recover. Many people were affected in this disaster, including Audrey Dubois who experienced a personal loss but found solace through her work for the Red Cross in Lac-Mégantic. Here is her story:
Audrey Dubois
A new Red Cross employee in Lac-Mégantic
“On the morning of July 6, I learned that my town was in flames, but that my parents were safe and sound. I nevertheless began the day with a bad feeling inside, which got worse by the minute. At 8:30, I received news that would change my life forever - my brother and his friends were all missing. That evening, they had gone to the Musi-Café for a drink. Always looking on the bright side, I believed that anything was possible. Surely they had been able to hide somewhere, and would re-emerge from the carnage. I finally believed the awful truth only when the investigators confirmed that Max was dead.
It was the beginning of a long summer. My memories of the first few days are not very clear, but from the earliest moments, the Red Cross and all its volunteers were taking care of not only family members looking for loved ones, but also the entire population of the Lac-Mégantic area. People were anxious, disoriented and terrified. I thought at once that it was admirable that such an organization existed, but the speed with which it became operational was the most impressive!
.jpg.aspx)
I went through the painful experience of losing friends, a whole downtown, but above all my brother, and I said to myself, “staying home does nothing to make things better.” I therefore decided to apply for a position that would enable me not only to get my life back in order, but also to find fulfilment as a citizen of Lac-Mégantic by getting involved in helping the community.
I started working for the Red Cross last December, and since then, I feel I have grown as a person. A year has passed since July 6, 2013, and I see my town getting back on its feet, rebuilding and slowly healing. The volunteers and the employees welcomed me into the Red Cross family with open arms. Helping people from my community, and knowing that the help we provide will enable my town to rise again, is by far the biggest accomplishment of my personal and professional life. As one of my colleagues often says, the real reward is seeing people’s faces light up as they leave the Red Cross offices, where we have been able to help them.”
Click
here to donate to help Red Cross be ready to respond to disasters.