HELPING HOUSTON
Volunteers turn out to offer aid after storm
Retired nursemidwife Bernice McLellan shared one of the biggest moments in Jodi Parent’s life, when she delivered her first-born son, Andrew.
Fate brought them together again Wednesday, for the first time in more than 20 years.
McLellan, of Greenfield, and Parent, of Saratoga Springs, were among the more than 60 people who turned out for a Red Cross rapid-deployment boot camp to prepare volunteers for shelter services work in hurricane-ravaged Houston.
“I’m just going to put my feet on the ground and do whatever they tell me,” said McLellan, who has previously traveled to Haiti and Guatemala on humanitarian missions. “The scenes in Houston are overwhelming. If we were in that position, I’m sure people there would do the same for us.”
Red Cross officials were pleasantly surprised at the strong turnout for Wednesday’s day-long training session at Cool Insuring Arena, the former Glens Falls Civic Center. The event was moved there, from nearby Red Cross offices, to accommodate the large crowd.
Parent said she’s preparing herself mentally for the trip. Volunteers must spend a minimum of 14 straight days working in a shelter — setting up cots, serving meals and simply talking to people.
“You need to stay mentally focused because these people have lost everything,” Parent said. “You might be the only one there helping them.”
The first Capital Region Red Cross volunteers are already in Houston. Some have described it as worse than New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005.
Red Cross instructor Maureen McGuirl said people will be deployed in waves, over the next several weeks.
“There are a lot of people on the ground in Texas right now,” she said. “They’re going to get tired and burned out. So as they leave we’ll send more people on a daily basis for the next month.”
The Red Cross covers the cost of transportation and meals. Volunteers live in staff shelters.
About 20 shelters for flood victims have been set up. But water is so deep and far spread that helicopters have been needed to bring supplies in.
Abby Monica, of Saratoga Springs, is anxiously awaiting her 18th birthday on Sept. 13 for a chance to help out. Volunteers must be at least 18 to be deployed.
However, she got ready for the experience by taking part in Wednesday’s training program.
“I just want to help out people in need,” said Monica, who graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in June. “I’m hoping I can make their days a little bit better. I know they’re all suffering. I’m speechless, to think that could happen to anybody.”
The chilling reality is that once the initial response to Hurricane Harvey is over, Houston’s recovery will take quite a bit longer.
“This will take years, absolutely,” said Angelica Klapputh, a Red Cross disaster program manager.