Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: disaster, fire, natural disaster, opportunity, Red Cross, volunteer orientation
Tonight I attended a volunteer orientation for the Red Cross. An old friend of mine had worked at this particular chapter and, although her life was often chaotic, she never ran out of stories of the good deeds that went on behind the scenes.
At the beginning of the orientation,all of the volunteers gave their name and a little info about themselves. I usually hate this part (as I don’t like talking about myself too much) but I love hearing about other people’s stories of why they chose to be there. And the answers certainly ran the gamut. One man was a doctor from Nigeria, an older Hispanic woman a retired RN, an even older gentleman was a retired firefighter and a spattering of younger people, like myself, who just wanted to help others.
As I sat there I thought about all of the scenarios that might arise in which I could be called to help. House fires, natural disaster relief, even a missing child search could bring the Red Cross with their trucks loaded to the brim with essentials. All at once I felt full of opportunity and uncertainty, wondering if I with my limited skills could really be of use. But the two teachers assured us again and again that everyone could be used, and would need to be used, in the future.
In fact, one teacher kept repeating how there “would definitely be a disaster in the future.” Not what a paranoid hypochondriac really wants to hear on her first night “on the job.”
And this night is only the beginning. There are more courses to be taken in the areas of speciality that one would like to help in. This doesn’t deter me from volunteering with the Red Cross; in fact, I simultaneously listening to our instructors and planning to buy some Spanish textbooks to brush up on mi Espanol.
I might be making this sound more glamorous or exciting than it will be. From my friend I know that phone calls will be received at 2, 3 o’clock in the morning and I will be expected to throw on clothes as quickly as possibly and run out the door, knowing that there are people waiting on me for assistance.
Of course, I don’t hope for any natural disasters or house fires to claim homes, but once they inevitably do, I will be glad that I prepared for and were able to provide the assistance and comfort that only someone from the Red Cross could do.
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