Tuesday, November 7, 2017

From Heartbreak to Hope: A Volunteer's Reflection on Disasters

Lisa Scott stood outside of the American Red Cross shelter in Corpus Christi, Texas and watched the bus unload. She saw faces of defeat, hopelessness, and desperation.

Those faces came from Rockport, an area that took a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey. Lisa, a new volunteer from the Upstate South Carolina Chapter of the Red Cross, knew everyone walking into that shelter needed compassion.

While working overnights, one of her jobs was cleaning the restrooms. It wasn’t glorifying work, she said, but it was one thing she could to show that compassion.

“I just tried to do things that made life a little bit better and little more normal for people,” she said.

Armed with cleaning supplies and a smile, Lisa is ready to clean the shelter restrooms.

Lisa also realized the simplest actions could have the deepest impact on everyone who needed help.

“They needed to talk, and they wanted to talk about what happened. I was just there to listen.”

She spent several nights doing just that. She remembers meeting older couples, young mothers, and families with several children.

One of the people she met was a six-year-old boy who was just about to turn seven. School was back in session, but the boy and his family were still staying in the shelter. He wanted to be able to take goodie bags to school to celebrate with his classmates. Lisa left the shelter to buy bags, candy, and toys. The next morning the boy wore the “Happy birthday” button Lisa also bought and was ready to go. Goodie bags in tow.

But, Lisa wanted to do one more thing. She rallied those who were around, and they all sang happy birthday. The faces of defeat, helplessness, and desperation, she said, turned into looks of joy, gratitude, and hope.

“It would make you cry. It brought tears to my eyes. It was very simple,” Lisa remembered.

But then disaster struck closer to Lisa’s home just a few weeks later.  A tornado tore through Spartanburg. Lisa got the call that she would need to open a shelter within an hour. She dropped everything.

“I know the people who were at the shelter got an understanding of the compassion we have, and the passion we have for helping,” she said.

Lisa spends time visiting with a furry shelter resident.

In all, the Palmetto SC Region provided more than 900 meals and snacks to people in need. Weeks later, Lisa continues to work with families, helping them through their recovery. She is one of the thousands of volunteers who make up 90% of the Red Cross workforce. She is one of the heroes who has paused their life to help others through their worst days.

For her, it’s about helping. It’s about alleviating human suffering.

“Tomorrow, I would go wherever they needed me to go. I learned so much, and it just enriches your life,” Lisa said.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer, go to redcross.org/volunteer

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