“ I ’ ve had the pleasure of tasting beignets in New Orleans while wearing beads and traveling on the trolley , and I ’ ve experienced breath-taking views of Crater Lake in Oregon ,” she says . “ I have also visited many state parks , including Sea Rim State Park , where I got to dip my toes in the Gulf of Mexico .”
One deployment that stands out for Stickley is her assignment in Medford , OR , in 2020 to provide feeding services for wildfire victims .
“ It was hard for my brain to absorb the massive ability of a wildfire to not only destroy homes but vehicles , businesses , vegetation and even infrastructure ,” she says . “ Each day , I delivered hot meals and snacks with the Emergency Response Vehicle ( ERV ) in Medford and the surrounding communities . It was amazing to be able to help so many people . The sadness of the fire ’ s destruction was replaced by smiles . These assignments provide food for my soul and give my heart a lift .”
Exploring New Places
In less than two years , Huntington , WV , resident Reed Washington has deployed to four national disasters , each time traveling to destinations he had never been before . He enjoys going to new places and helping people .
While deployed to Oregon to assist with wildfire evacuation shelters , he used his free time to make his first visit to California . His next three deployments took him to Louisiana , where he explored Louisiana State University ’ s sports fields and experienced the local attractions of New Orleans like Lafayette Square and The National WWII Museum .
What he enjoys most about being a disaster volunteer is serving as a certified ERV driver . ERVs allow volunteers to deliver food and emergency supplies to hard-hit areas . His deployments to Louisiana involved him driving an ERV through hurricane-impacted communities , giving out hot meals and smiles .
“ When the clients in New Orleans would say , ‘ Thank you and God bless you ,’ I realized how appreciative they were ,” he says of those to whom he delivered hot meals . “ I was just trying to help them for a moment with a hot meal , hoping they could enjoy the food and not think about everything else that was going on around them . In that moment , I knew we , as Red Cross volunteers , had made a difference that day .”
A Red Cross volunteer distributes comfort kits in LaPlace , LA , after Hurricane Ida . Photo by Scott Dalton / American Red Cross .
Making Lifelong Friends
“ Deployment as a disaster volunteer for the Red Cross is very much like an adventure in the sense that you are visiting new places , experiencing new ways of life and making new , lifelong friends ,” says Dreama Burks , a native of Welch , WV , and a lead for the Central Appalachia Region ’ s Disaster Health Services team .
Burks became a health services volunteer as a way to stay involved with nursing after retirement . Since 2017 , she has deployed 13 times , traveling to Florida and North Carolina for hurricanes , California for a mudslide with mass fatalities and Texas for a mass shooting .
Her favorite deployment , though , occurred in 2018 when she traveled to Hawaii to serve as a shelter nurse during ongoing volcano activity . She found herself on a team of 14 health services volunteers that bonded over the constant earthquakes , toxic fumes and unique client needs . They all remain friends today .
“ The most amazing group of humans I have ever met were assembled on that Hawaii team , and I can ’ t tell you how much they mean to me ,” she says . “ Red Cross teammates are an extension of your family , and you gain new members with each deployment along with precious memories to last a lifetime .”
“ Deployment as a disaster volunteer for the Red Cross is very much like an adventure in the sense that you are visiting new places , experiencing new ways of life and making new , lifelong friends .”
Dreama Burks ( right ) of Welch , WV , and her Disaster Health Services teammates provided vital health services in Hawaii during the continuous volcanic and earthquake activity in 2018 . Photo by American Red Cross .
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