AUGUST 29, 2010
Today is the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It's amazing to see the pictures of before and after the natural disaster struck and then to see those places five years later.
Many of my colleagues were dispatched to the Gulf Coast to cover the damage done and the massive impact on thousands of lives.
I had just finished my Red Cross training. I had signed up to get re-certified in CPR and First Aid and decided to take the few extra courses needed to help during disaster relief. Little did I know that I'd be assigned to the Gulf Coast. So, I asked my employer for some vacation time, I packed my big backpack along with plenty of wetwipes and mosquito repellant and was adamant that I would bring a laptop along because somehow I was going to blog about the experience from a Red Cross shelter (despite the lack of power and electricity in many places). And, I had plane ticket in hand-- I was heading to Baton Rouge.
But, sadly, just hours before my flight, I got a phone call saying that because of another hurricane heading that way (I now know it was Hurricane Rita), and my team was told to "stand down." I never got the call to continue on that mission. I unpacked my bags and watched as events unfolded on television.
I still think about how close I came to heading out as a Red Cross volunteer. I'm sure that experience-- for the hundreds of people that did go from the Sacramento area-- was remarkable. I know volunteer work is tough and sometimes tedious. Hats off to everyone who devotes their time and energy to such causes-- to volunteering with disaster relief--- be it following a hurricane, a house fire, or any other time where people and families are in need.
If you were a Red Cross volunteer in the Gulf, I'd love to hear from you-- how long were you there, what did you do, what the experience meant to you...
sphan@news10.net
Twitter: @suzannephan
Facebook: SuzannePhanNews10
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