Nature Coast Volunteer Center Responds to Katrina in Mississippi
By Heidi Blanchette
Social Programs Assistant, Nature Coast Volunteer Center
 Less than two weeks had passed since Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, in what will likely be recorded as the worst natural disaster in the history of the US, when the Nature Coast Volunteer Center (NCVC) received the request for volunteers from Capt. Eckstein, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Director. Volunteers were quickly recruited from CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and NCVC.
These folks responded to a plea that wasn't particularly enticing. We didn’t sugar coat it. They were told up front of the possible conditions for this hardship assignment. It went something like this: "We're putting a team together for a 1-2 week mission to Mississippi. Be prepared for extreme weather conditions such as high heat and humidity; sustained exposure to unmitigated heat from direct sunlight; rain, or other forms of precipitation; unfavorable living conditions (we don't know where you will sleep); limited food choices (how's MREs day in, day out sound?); long work hours (hope you like to watch the sunrise and set); chaotic work environment (be flexible). If you're still interested in volunteering to assist, please show up at the 4 o'clock meeting, and we'll arrange for someone from the Health Department stab you with tetanus, just to be safe."
On Sunday Sept. 11, the team of 11, which included one NCVC staff member and 10 volunteers, left the Citrus County EOC in Lecanto at 10 a.m., headed to Tallahassee to check in at the state Emergency Operations Center and to get details of the official mission. Tom Linley, Volunteer Florida Chief of Staff, informed us we would be staged in the Kiln Library, Hancock County, MS. Much to our delight the library had power, AC, and running water, the team quickly agreed to drive straight through. We arrived at 10:30 p.m., settled in to our new digs, and woke among the stacks at 6 a.m. the following morning.
The team checked in at the Hancock County EOC, and received credentials allowing access as needed. Splitting up to fulfill dual assignments, operating a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) and working in the main distribution warehouses, the team began the first of what would turn out to be a typical day. At the end of a week, these operations were turned over to local staff and contractors, thus fulfilling the mission to assist the community with managing their own recovery operation.
Led by John, six members of the team were assigned to the warehouses, where Martina and Renee were each put in charge of separate warehouses. Horace, a licensed forklift operator (among other things) was able to put those skills to work promptly. John, Terry, and Dennis provided labor organizing the product alongside National Guard soldiers and distributing product to the points of distribution (PODs). At first sight, organizing the warehouses seemed an insurmountable task, with bags of clothing piled high, no power or light except what came from the holes in the damaged walls and ceiling, and no pathways to operate a fork lift. In a very short time these spirited volunteers, who claim they have no distribution experience, had a functioning warehouse.
The rest of the team, Heidi, Jacky, Judy, and Karen, operated the VRC. Taking requests from residents, who often needed an empathetic ear, and assigning volunteers, who came from all over the country, with these same requests. Coordinating the relentless efforts of James, Jon, "Porkchop", and Rick from Wisconsin, Dave and Rob from Maryland, Ralph from Florida, and Gail from Ohio, just to name a few, became a concentrated effort of the VRC team. Dispatching them each day to assist with PODs, tree removal, tarping roofs, and building showers for volunteers and residents, became the routine. A huge challenge was providing necessary resources volunteers needed to "get the job done." Through donations and reconnaissance efforts, we obtained goods such as chain saws, work gloves, hardhats, tarps, tools, and building materials.
All agree it was an incredibly rewarding experience, made bearable after meeting the warmhearted residents of Hancock County. The gracious hosts at the Kiln Library were some of the best people we had ever met, sharing their stories and resources to make our assignment more than tolerable. Though a reported 30-foot wall of water came 12 miles inland, destroying many of their homes, they still provided us with a smile of gratitude each day. Those who did not live near the shore were most likely affected by the more than 100 tornadoes Hurricane Katrina spawned. Still, they would always have a kind word or gesture for the volunteers.
After returning to Citrus County, the team gathered for a dinner provided by NCVC and shared their experiences. The common theme: We’re not done, there’s more to do, a piece of our hearts are still in Hancock County, Miss.
|
