Behind the Scenes at the Desoto Red Cross Shelter

Written by Anita Foster, Regional Chief Communications Officer, American Red Cross: 



While most people have never set foot in a Red Cross shelter, the folks fleeing from Louisiana this past week because of Hurricane Isaac had a very good idea of what life is like behind the doors. Most were evacuees from Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 and after surviving on rooftops and swimming for their lives, they found themselves in mega-shelters like the Houston Astrodome or the Dallas Convention Center where they lived with thousands of others for months. 

While the images of Hurricane Katrina shelters are still fresh in most people's minds, the evacuees who came to DeSoto, Texas to seek refuge quickly discovered that they were in a comfortable location surrounded by volunteers who would make sure their needs were met.

Most shelters that the Red Cross sets up are reflective of the one you'll see in this video. So go behind the scenes with us to discover the many ways the Red Cross and the community come together to take care of others when they need us most. 

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Feels Like Family: Residents in Shelter Connect with Red Cross Workers

Written by Tonya Solis-Mosby, volunteer contributor

They came seeking refuge from the storm known as Isaac. They brought with them their talents and skills and little else. So, they are using their skills to keep sunshine in an otherwise cloudy time in life.

Residents gather with Red Cross workers who welcomed them to the shelter in Desoto, Texas.
Photo by Kim Purintun/American Red Cross. 

“It’s a tragedy for sure,” said Tremaine Harris of New Orleans, La. “But to come here to Dallas and find the shelter is here (in a church) then you know we are all meant to be here together for some reason.”

Mr. Harris is just one of about 50 people who have found refuge from the storm in the Red Cross Shelter housed at Faith Bible Church in Desoto, TX.  As he talked about the “good food” and the “friendly people” who are Red Cross volunteers and mostly members of the church he remembered the last time he came to Dallas.

“I came here during Katrina and it was nothing like this,” he said, “but this time, I don’t want to go back.” 

Harris said he was tired of running from the storms that plague his hometown. It uproots him from everything, he said, including his business as a barber and from relaxing with the artwork that he draws and paints. 

“I’m a barber and an artist,” he said, showing pictures of his drawings capture on his cell phone camera. “If I was at home, I’d be cutting hair. I want to help around here and cut people’s hair for free but I don’t have my equipment.” 

Soon after hearing of Harris' talent and his hopes to get a job cutting hair here in Dallas, volunteer Markus Nuebauer knew Harris would need one thing that was left behind in Louisiana.

Tremaine Harris with Markus Neubauer with his new clippers.
Photo by Kim Purintun/American Red Cross. 

Mr. Harris said he came to the shelter on Wednesday after arriving in Dallas two days before.

“We came together with some people we met who were coming here and they offered us a ride,” Mr. Harris said pointing to Andrea Spurlock who said the two were neighbors in New Orleans.

“They came here because they had family,” Ms. Spurlock said, “but once we got here, they didn’t have room for us, and they said we needed to find a place to go.”

Ms. Spurlock and Mr. Harris said they found out about the shelter after making a few phone calls, but the people who brought them to Dallas wouldn’t bring them to the shelter.

“They said they didn’t have money for gas and we couldn’t pay them. We walked,” she said, “from a place called Oak Cliff.”

Turner teaches Red Cross worker,
Tonya Solis-Mosby, piano tunes.
Photo by Kim Purintun/American Red Cross. 

A bit weary from their travels upon their arrival, after she began to rest and adjust, she started to offer her services in her field of expertise.

“I do hair,” she said, adding that she had given several haircuts that day. “This is a bad situation for us but it’s like an extra point having them love us and God, too. You can just feel the love in this place.”

As Harris and Spurlock talked about their journey and their stay at the shelter after listening to a musical interlude by Kenyon Turner, a pastor and musician from Braithwaite, LA, who played a piano and sang religious melodies. 

“It’s a divine connection,” he said of everyone – evacuees, volunteers and workers at the Red Cross Shelter. “God has a plan for us.” 

Red Cross PIO, Anita Foster, gets a trim while
residents were offering cuts as gifts of gratitude.
Photo by Kim Purintun/American Red Cross. 

Mr. Turner said he was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in the shelter. He too said he “felt love” throughout the building.

“Everybody has been so nice,” he said. “This is a bad time for us but they have made it just a little better.”

Others at the shelter included Lucille Fiffie, 70, who traveled with her family, including her daughter and great granddaughter from Edgard, La. Also staying was a new mother who traveled with her three-month-old baby, Kingston.

Red Cross worker, Lilly Watson, takes her turn
with Kingston, the shelter's youngest resident.
Photo byKim Purintun/American Red Cross. 

“I think I just want to stay (in Dallas),” said the mom, adding that she hopes she can find a job in Dallas like her present position. “I work in a morgue. I’m an embalmer.”

The new mom, who is from Alexandria, La., said she came to Dallas with friends but then they didn’t have room for her once they arrived. 

“We will have to stay here until they say we have to go and then we will decide what we can do,” she said. “But I’m happy. Everyone is really nice here at the shelter. They took to my baby and as long as he is alright then I’m alright.”

As the sun went down, the evacuees and the Red Cross workers met in a meeting to discuss future plans for the shelter. Once the meeting was finished, everyone was expected to settle down for the night and wait for word on tomorrow about their homes.

American Red Cross has opened 80 shelters in seven states and remains heavily involved in a massive response spanning the Gulf Coast states.

If you want to help, make a financial donation at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. To make a $10 donation text REDCROSS to 90999.

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Turning Desperation Into Inspiration

Written by Kristina Brevard, volunteer contributor

As I packed my “Red Cross Go Bag” in preparation to respond to Isaac this week, I realized that it was seven years ago this week that I started my volunteer journey with the American Red Cross.

It’s the same images we are seeing today that I remember seeing seven years ago—flooded streets, the barefoot people fleeing with only a few belongings, boarded up homes half submerged. These images were the images that made me act. I knew I could help, I just didn't know how. That's when I contacted the Red Cross. "Teach me, train me, prepare me so I am not helpless to these people who need us," I said to the person on the other line.

And they did!

Highway 90 by Lake Saint Catherine near Slidell, Louisiana.
Photo by Daniel Cima/American Red Cross

Thinking back to my first couple of weeks working in the shelters brings tears to my eyes as I remember the evacuees walking into the shelter looking so defeated, carrying garbage bags of the only belongings they could carry out of their homes. 

It was devastating. But by me being there, I offered hope and some level of comfort to these strangers who were in desperate need of a place to temporarily call “home.” As the days went on, I’d  observe the crowds with their eyes glued to the television hoping to get a glimpse of hope that their neighborhood was still standing. The daily questions I’d answer were, “Are they letting people back in to the neighborhoods? When is the shelter closing?” There were so many unknowns to all of them and though I couldn’t always provide them with answers, I could provide them with a shoulder to cry on, a joke to laugh at or something as simple as a hot cup of coffee.

My heart breaks because I know those same questions are being asked today in the more than 80 shelters that are currently open in seven states.

Shelter residents who left the Gulf Coast ahead of Isaac
and are staying in Texas until it's safe to return home.
Photo by Kim Purintun/American Red Cross.

The good news is, you don't have to feel hopeless as you watch the coverage. There is a way to help! Empower yourself, take action and make a difference in someone else's life. Here are all the ways that you can get involved.

Volunteer: 

Volunteers give the personal connection that is needed desperately during times of disasters. Currently, we are training volunteers to respond those who need us during hurricane season through Saturday. Click for schedule.

Donate:

Every dollar matters. Go to redcross.org, call 1-800-redcross, or you can text 90999 to REDCROSS to give a $10 donation. 

Be an Advocate:

Donate your digital messages to us! Every message you retweet, share and comment on makes a difference. Your comments may lead to a gift or inspire someone else to give. Please like and recommend our page on Facebook at Red Cross DFW and follow us on Twitter @RedCrossDFW to see how we are helping with the hurricane relief here at home.  

Through seven years and numerous disaster responses, I have one one thing to be true—human connection is needed to heal. Volunteering isn’t a only a one-sided, unselfish act, it's a gift to those who need healing and I have the warm memories of making an impact on the lives of families who can only plan for today.

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Together We Serve: Making the Red Cross Part of your Place of Worship’s Ministry Program

Written by Lilly Watson, staff contributor 

Churches and other places of worship are designed to host groups of people who want to come together under their common faith. While the common belief system of the congregates might be what originally brings them together, there’s usually lots of activities and groups at churches for the many hobbies that might be shared amongst members. Check a local church community board and you’ll typically find anything from quilting club, bunko, singles groups and more.

Faith Bible Church in DeSoto, Texas, had a unique idea for a new ministry group after watching Hurricane Katrina roll into the Gulf Coast on the news seven years ago. They saw people come into the Dallas area with nowhere to go and wanted to be there the next time nature put people in need of shelter. They wanted to come together as a church in service under the leadership and training of the Red Cross. 

Faith Bible Church’s impressive building, with full working kitchens, a roomy gymnasium, and special rooms that could sleep families with infants, was the perfect place to operate as a community shelter. After a few years of training and waiting for the disaster call, the church officially opened its doors to potential evacuees from Hurricane Isaac last night. 

Soon after beginning their training it was easy to see that the Red Cross has a role for all kinds of skill sets and interests on a disaster team. The ladies of Faith Bible know and love cooking for a crowd and signed on as the feeding committee. Young men from the youth group were ready to unload the trailer and pop open cots once supplies arrive. Even Pastor Andy was on hand at the opening to do what he does best in his role – lend personal support and encouragement to the staff. 

I always love hearing how new volunteers find their way to the Red Cross. The story of the people at Faith Bible Church is one that will be hard for me to ever forget. What’s better than completing your training and starting your Red Cross story alongside 50 of your fellow church members?

The Red Cross will always be ready to take volunteers, whether you’re coming solo to meet new people or you’re part of a group that wants to find new ways to grow and serve as a team. As Faith Bible Church learned last night, you never know when your Red Cross preparedness will be called upon, and we were so grateful that they took our call! 

To find out more about volunteering with the Red Cross, visit redcrossdallas.org.

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Red Cross CEO Updates DFW on Plans for Isaac

Written by Kyla Campbell, staff contributor

Planning for Isaac's landfall and the potential fallout from the rain and wind remains top priority for North Texas volunteers and staff. From shelter planning to flood preparations, crews across DFW and East Texas aim to care for those who soon will become victims of Hurricane Isaac. Our CEO, T.D. Smyers, talks about what Isaac means to DFW area and how you can help!

Responding to hurricanes takes the strength of an organization like the American Red Cross and the support from donors in order to mobilize resources like we have over the last several days. Below highlights exactly how you help when you support the Red Cross with a financial gift.  

*As of Monday, August 27, the Red Cross:

• Deployed more than 1,500 disaster workers across the Gulf Coast to help with Red Cross efforts.
• Sheltered hundreds of people Sunday night in Florida. More than 560 people spent Sunday night in Red Cross and community shelters after Isaac brought heavy rain, power outages and flooding. Overall, the Red Cross opened 22 shelters and supported 20 community shelters overnight.
• Put dozens of shelters on stand-by along the Gulf, where evacuations have already been ordered in some area. Shelters are likely to open in the area throughout the day.
• Sent mobile kitchens and truckloads of relief supplies to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. More than 50 pre-positioned support trailers are ready with supplies.
• Activated more than 150 emergency response vehicles (ERVs) in those states and from around the country to help.
• Continued to help in Florida where flooding continues. Red Cross disaster workers will continue to help those affected by opening shelters, providing meals and distributing relief supplies like personal hygiene and clean-up items.

And this is all in addition to all the preparations going on here in DFW!

HOW YOU CAN HELP 
Tropical Storm Isaac is predicted to trigger a large and prolonged disaster response with major flooding across several states. People can call, click or text to donate by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

*Original source: redcross.org

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Red Cross DFW Prepared to Help Hurricane Isaac Evacuees

Written by Anita Foster, Chief Communications Officer, American Red Cross: 

As I type this message to you this morning, I do so with great uncertainty on what the day will hold. Hurricanes are quite unpredictable. Late last week, we were busy deploying relief workers so they could be in place before Isaac made landfall. We were fairly certain that he would come ashore along the Florida coastline, but what a difference a couple of days can make. 

After waking up on Sunday, I took a look at the latest forecast models and started to see Isaac making a shift to the west. I called some of my fellow Red Crossers and we discussed the model. For the first time since its formation, we knew that our teams in DFW and East Texas might just be called to action because New Orleans now appeared within the "cone of probability". 

This morning, not only is New Orleans in the cone, it's in the center of it. What does that mean for DFW? In a nutshell, it means that we have to be ready to provide safe shelter for thousands of people and we'll need to do it quickly. 

Throughout the day today, all of us will have phones glued to our ears and we'll be frantically typing messages to volunteers, national headquarters, government officials and each other just to be sure everything is lined up in case people from New Orleans head toward DFW for a safe place to stay. 

We'll keep you posted on our activities throughout the day so please check back here. You can also follow us on Twitter @RedCrossDFW or join us on our Facebook page: Red Cross DFW. See you later today! 

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Hurricane Isaac Relocates Volunteers: Florida

Written by Kyla Campbell, staff contributor

Twenty years ago today, Hurricane Andrew, the first named storm of the season, slammed into southern Florida causing major destruction around Florida City, Miami and parts of the Louisiana coastlines. This hurricane season has already produced Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debbie, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon and Helene by Andrew's landfall anniversary. 

While the severity of Isaac appears no where close to Andrew's strength, teams of Red Cross volunteers across the nation are prepping for landfall and the impact it may have on local residents. As of today, 16 volunteers from the North Texas Region swiftly packed their go bags, charged up electronics, packed their Red Cross wellies, threw on the red vest and headed south. Many of these volunteers were only home a few days from Oklahoma when the call came that residents in Florida could need them. 

A sincere thank you to the volunteer who leaves the comfort of their home to help others.

If you are interested in helping others here at home or around the country in times of emergencies, you may be a future Red Cross volunteer. To find out more visit redcross.org.

If you wish to help financially, a gift is always appreciated. Donor support means we are able to mobilize these highly trained volunteers to areas we expect to be hardest hit by disasters.

Whether a disasters here at home or across the country, count on the Red Cross being there!

Update as of 8/26/12: Nineteen volunteers deployed to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida while numerous others help plan here in Texas.

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