First of all, we’re excited that you’re interested in the Red Cross National Preparedness and Response Corps AmeriCorps program! Applications will be available soon (on www.americorps.gov) and we’re sure some of you may have questions about the program or even just the application process in general. Confession: we don’t keep up with this blog as well as we should (in case you couldn’t tell…), so if you would like to contact us with any questions or just to learn more about the program, your best bet is to contact us on Twitter @arc_nola_nprc or you can email us:
In addition to our Monday-Friday office jobs, all five of us are part of the Disaster Action Team and have worked on national disaster relief operations, so feel free to ask us about that stuff, too!
This weekend is the first of the two big weekends of Mardi Gras and I couldn’t be more excited! I can’t wait to see what all the hype is about and to experience the parades that I’ve heard so much about. For the past several years, the Red Cross has assisted EMS by providing first aid stations at the parades. By handling the smaller injuries, we free up EMS to respond to major health threats and emergencies. This year, around 100 volunteers will work at nearly fifty stations over the course of the next two weekends. Coordinating an effort of this magnitude takes an incredible amount of work and time, and props go to those here that have worked tirelessly for countless hours to pull the first aid stations off without a hitch, especially Lisa (she’s one of the NPRC members, but you might not know that since she never blogs *cough cough*). Actually, the truth is that Lisa has been so busy lately working on the Mardi Gras stations that she hasn’t had time to blog. In fact, most of the time she doesn’t even have time to break for lunch. She has stayed late after work almost every day over the past week or so and has put in more than a handful of weekend hours as well. Her hard work has been and will continue to be key to the success of the Red Cross first aid stations and it is greatly appreciated! Awesome job, Lisa! Thank you for all that you do!
Lisa practicing her splinting skills on me at our first aid training this past weekend.
Dan and I served hot meals out of the Salvation Army truck!
About two weeks ago, Jane and I were called out to canteen at a three-alarm fire in Jean Lafitte. After the fire had been blazing for nearly five hours and there was still no end in sight, we decided that while our snacks and beverages were a great asset to the firefighters, it would be a good idea to call in reinforcements. We made a couple of quick phone calls and within about an hour and a half (keep in mind the fire was half an hour outside of New Orleans), the Salvation Army truck pulled up with coffee and freshly prepared hot meals ready to go for the first responders. The meals were a huge pick-me-up for the firefighters and gave them the energy they needed to keep working through the evening. Just two days later, we had a canvassing event in Kenner and once again, the Salvation Army came out and generously provided lunch for all of our volunteers.
On both occasions, I had the pleasure of working and speaking with Dan, a member of the Salvation Army, who told me all about the organization and shared some of his experiences with me. It was great to learn more about the Army and I hope to work with them again in the future! A big thanks goes out to Dan and the rest of the SA for their service!
Volunteers enjoyed a hot lunch compliments of the Salvation Army at our MLK Day canvassing event in Kenner.
Almost five months later I am finally sharing my first Disaster Relief Operation (DR) experience for Hurricane Irene with the blogosphere. Jane Bowler and I drove an ERV to North Carolina where we stayed in a shelter in Roanoke Rapids before we were stationed to a Southern Baptist Kitchen in Williamston, NC. We served two meals a day out of Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to roughly 300-500 people in Creswell, NC and Jamesville, NC. It’s very hard to put into words my experience. I met a lot of wonderful, kindhearted people, who have forever changed my life. The caring Ms. Beverly who fed everyone in the shelter at Roanoke Rapids and stayed long hours making sure everyone had something to eat. Sister Kieran opened up her church in Williamston, NC and allowed the ERV crew (12 people) a place to sleep and shower, along with her wonderful congregation making us delicious meals. The fire departments at Jamesville and Creswell set up well organized feeding stations, making it easy for those without electricity to have access to a hot meal. Teams from these fire departments went around their town, alerting their citizens when the Red Cross was coming so they knew when they could receive something to eat. Creswell Fire Department was gracious enough to allow Jane and me to help deliver meals to flooded areas. We were able to see first hand the wrath of Irene with homes, roads, and churches under water. My first DR was also memorable because I had the most amazing partner, Jane Bowler.(Jane underlined that part) We were the youngest ERV drivers that, at times, were questioned because of our youth, BUT we proved time and time again that we were ready to take whatever came at us. I’m so proud of the work we accomplished and the help we were able to provide. Below are some of the memories I, Jane, and American Red Cross PR captured, so check ‘em out!
It’s almost been five months since we’ve been here and I think about all that we have accomplished since beginning our journey. We’ve completed numerous service projects and volunteered at numerous community events in and around New Orleans. Out of all the service we give to this town, our biggest service to the community is responding to fires. We respond to all types of fires in the New Orleans area by providing temporary disaster assistance to victims of house fires and those who are temporarily displaced from their homes as a result of a fire. On large scale fires, we also assist firefighters and first responders by providing water, snacks, and Gatorade, and hot chocolate and coffee in the winter. I’ve responded to 25 fires so far. House fires are tragic and devastating times for families, so it’s important to have good customer service skills. It’s crucial to let fire victims know that while the Red Cross is unable to replace everything that is lost in a fire, you are there to provide them with temporary assistance as best as you can given the situation at hand. Good customer service requires taking the time to thoroughly explain all the policies and procedures involved with the assistance you are providing to a client as well as other resources available if clients need assistance beyond what the Red Cross is capable of providing. Always take the time to address any questions or concerns people have when you are assisting them. If you are taking a chapter vehicle to a fire, make sure you are familiar with chapter rules and regulations regarding vehicle usage. Drive safely and remember that any speeding/traffic tickets received while driving a chapter vehicle will be your responsibility.
The Holiday Mail for Heroes project is a very touching part of the American Red Cross. Chapters throughout the country and abroad hand-make holiday cards wishing veterans a warm holiday season and thanking them for their service- especially at this time of the year. We were lucky enough to be involved in this project from beginning to end. Throughout the past few months we have held events, collected materials, and gotten our chapter and the community extremely involved in making cards to send to Pitney Bowes and be distributed around the world. I made the video above after our visit to the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home on December 22, 2011. The veterans and family shown in this video were just a few of the hundreds of veterans who received cards in Southeast Louisiana(we also delivered to the Disabled American Veterans and multiple outpatient facilities for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ). Being able to thank so many veterans during the holiday season with messages from home was an experience that I am proud and so happy to have had.
