By: Kim Mailes, American Red Cross
“I just remember the American Red Cross being there,” said Gladys Meyer. “It was just the initial kindness that really struck me.”
The day began with joy, dining out and shopping with her husband to celebrate her birthday. But during dinner her cell phone rang. Their home was ablaze and the fire department was on the way.
By the time they arrived, the fire had been extinguished and the firefighters were hacking through walls to extinguish any smoldering embers.
“I stood there feeling disbelief, hurt, fear. I remember thinking, what are we going to do now? Where will we stay tonight? All of our belongings have been destroyed, how can we replace things and begin again?”
Then the Red Cross Disaster Action Team arrived. DATs are volunteers trained to respond to local disasters. They provide emotional support, along with immediate financial assistance to help those affected purchase things they need right away, like clothing and toiletries.
“They gave us a debit card pre-loaded with several hundred dollars,” Gladys said. “It was just such an unexpected blessing, a ray of sunshine in a horrible disaster.”
The DAT responders also provided Gladys and her husband with a list of resources to help them navigate the trying weeks ahead. The Red Cross responds quickly to alleviate human suffering in the face of disaster, and also partners with other government and non-government organizations to connect victims of disaster during the longer-term recovery process.
During the days and weeks following the fire, Red Cross recovery team volunteers checked in with Gladys periodically to make sure she was receiving the resources needed to get back on her feet and rebuild her life.
Today, the fire is just an unpleasant memory for Gladys. She retired recently, and began searching for an opportunity to help others.
“Throughout the years, I’d seen the Red Cross at all kinds of disasters, but I’d never been touched until a disaster happened to me. I have more time on my hands now and needed something meaningful to do. Since the fire, becoming a Red Cross volunteer has always been on my heart and my mind. I’d been thinking about it for a long time, and I just decided to do it.”
Searching online, she found the Red Cross website and read about the many volunteer positions available. There are dozens of ways people can become involved, from volunteering at blood drives, to working at shelters during major disasters, to being part of the logistics team that inventory and warehouse the supplies necessary to set up safe places for those displaced by hurricanes tornadoes and wildfires.
When Gladys read that DAT volunteers are needed to respond to home fires, she knew that was the right place for her to serve and soon she was part of the Greater St. Louis Chapter
“It was easy to sign up,” she said. “I just submitted my application online, and soon a Red Cross volunteer called to welcome me and get me started on the training I need.”
“As a Red Cross volunteer, I want to help others at a time when they need it most, to let them know that God is still looking out for them by providing a ray of hope.
The Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes in the U.S. — most of which are home fires and DAT responders always are needed. You can become a volunteer and help those affected by disasters in the area where you live. To find out more, go to https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html