As some of you know, I'm a volunteer with the American Red Cross. I do Disaster Response on the local level, and Disaster Assessment on the national level (some similarities, but actually pretty different jobs). I don't doubt that everyone is familiar with the work ARC does during Hurricane season on the Gulf Coast, helping with cleanup and establishing shelters. Those of you on the west coast have probably seen us do similar things in California during the wildfires, or perhaps in the midwest during the flooding recently.
What people sometimes forget is that those efforts are actually a relatively small part of a chapters responsibilities. Every day we respond to disasters (most commonly fires) all over the local community (in my case that includes most of the state of Maryland).
This is a little melodramatic, but bear with me. Look around your house or apartment. At your computer, your pictures, your stereo, your wallet, your clothes, all your mementos. Everything you've worked so hard for.
Now imagine it all on fire.
I don't have to imagine it. 10 years ago last month the apartment building I lived in was visited by an arsonist in the middle of the night. Only by luck and the horn of a passing taxi driver saved the lives of everyone in that building. It was so large thirteen different engine companies responded (I've kept the official report). I escaped with the pajamas I was wearing and my pet ferret. Nothing else. My apartment was on the top floor, and in a corner. As such it was the last unit extinguished. After burning for almost five hours, it was a total loss.
I was now homeless. Without clothes. I had no money and no way to prove to a bank (or anyone else, for that matter) that I was who I said I was, as my wallet burned along with my birth cert. I had a pet, and no place safe to put her. Oh, and let's toss on the fact that my dumb ass didn't have renters insurance, either, and my nearest family was 1000 miles away. Not that they were in much of a position to offer more than morale support. I've never been so overwhelmed in my life. Where do you even begin? How do you even begin to absorb all this?
Thankfully the local fire department called the Red Cross and they sent a team. They found me a place to stay. They found a shelter that would take my ferret as long as needed without me having to worry about her being put down. The gave me vouchers for a couple sets of clothes, and got me fastracked at the DMV for replacement IDs. They found me a real estate agent who helped me find a new apartment without fee, and provided some rudimentary furniture and utensils for the apartment when I moved in.
They gave me a hand putting my life back together. And they do the same thing for hundreds, maybe thousands, of people every day. All with volunteers and donations from the public.
Today I received this email:
Originally posted by
The American Red Cross disaster relief fund is depleted. On Monday, September 8th, board member Michael Liebman and I appeared on WBFF Fox 45 Baltimore news to make a plea to the public for help. If you missed this interview, I encourage you to take a moment and watch the video. Please pass this email on to a friend or colleague to let them know about our urgent need.
As a result of our current shortfall, I urge you to consider making a contribution. Your generosity makes it possible for us to meet the needs of victims of disasters like Hurricane Gustav, in the Gulf, as well as those who needed food and water on Monday when an entire Baltimore neighborhood was left without power. In addition to these unforeseen disasters, we respond locally to at least three fires everyday.
Thank you for your support of the American Red Cross,
Frank Miller,
Executive Director
So, if you can hold off on some flex points for a while, I'd consider it a personal solid if you tossed a few bucks towards the Red Cross.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this,
Rich
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=COGP_MD_CntrlMd_main&JServSessionIdr012=f7oakj1t41.app195a
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=COGP_MD_CntrlMd_main&JServSessionIdr012=f7oakj1t41.app195a
What people sometimes forget is that those efforts are actually a relatively small part of a chapters responsibilities. Every day we respond to disasters (most commonly fires) all over the local community (in my case that includes most of the state of Maryland).
This is a little melodramatic, but bear with me. Look around your house or apartment. At your computer, your pictures, your stereo, your wallet, your clothes, all your mementos. Everything you've worked so hard for.
Now imagine it all on fire.
I don't have to imagine it. 10 years ago last month the apartment building I lived in was visited by an arsonist in the middle of the night. Only by luck and the horn of a passing taxi driver saved the lives of everyone in that building. It was so large thirteen different engine companies responded (I've kept the official report). I escaped with the pajamas I was wearing and my pet ferret. Nothing else. My apartment was on the top floor, and in a corner. As such it was the last unit extinguished. After burning for almost five hours, it was a total loss.
I was now homeless. Without clothes. I had no money and no way to prove to a bank (or anyone else, for that matter) that I was who I said I was, as my wallet burned along with my birth cert. I had a pet, and no place safe to put her. Oh, and let's toss on the fact that my dumb ass didn't have renters insurance, either, and my nearest family was 1000 miles away. Not that they were in much of a position to offer more than morale support. I've never been so overwhelmed in my life. Where do you even begin? How do you even begin to absorb all this?
Thankfully the local fire department called the Red Cross and they sent a team. They found me a place to stay. They found a shelter that would take my ferret as long as needed without me having to worry about her being put down. The gave me vouchers for a couple sets of clothes, and got me fastracked at the DMV for replacement IDs. They found me a real estate agent who helped me find a new apartment without fee, and provided some rudimentary furniture and utensils for the apartment when I moved in.
They gave me a hand putting my life back together. And they do the same thing for hundreds, maybe thousands, of people every day. All with volunteers and donations from the public.
Today I received this email:
Originally posted by
The American Red Cross disaster relief fund is depleted. On Monday, September 8th, board member Michael Liebman and I appeared on WBFF Fox 45 Baltimore news to make a plea to the public for help. If you missed this interview, I encourage you to take a moment and watch the video. Please pass this email on to a friend or colleague to let them know about our urgent need.
As a result of our current shortfall, I urge you to consider making a contribution. Your generosity makes it possible for us to meet the needs of victims of disasters like Hurricane Gustav, in the Gulf, as well as those who needed food and water on Monday when an entire Baltimore neighborhood was left without power. In addition to these unforeseen disasters, we respond locally to at least three fires everyday.
Thank you for your support of the American Red Cross,
Frank Miller,
Executive Director
So, if you can hold off on some flex points for a while, I'd consider it a personal solid if you tossed a few bucks towards the Red Cross.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this,
Rich
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=COGP_MD_CntrlMd_main&JServSessionIdr012=f7oakj1t41.app195a
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=COGP_MD_CntrlMd_main&JServSessionIdr012=f7oakj1t41.app195a
