For the past week all Badger one has done is breath, eat, sleep and work disaster. It has been an incredible experience in hundreds of ways!
I feel like I am on a never ending roller coaster ride. Some days I am so mentally exhausted it is a real struggle to listen to everyone’s individual problems and issues and help them with the information and resources they need. Other days I’m like superwoman and feel like I’m making a big difference to individual people around Rhode Island. When I get off the phone and a person is throughly appreciative and thankful that I have given them locations where they can get food, clothing, shelter; or just take their information so someone can come help them clean up the monstrous mess waiting for them in their basement, I know what I’m doing is important.
Working at the United Way 211 center in Providence has been a great experience. The various women we are working with are sweet and fascinating ladies. They are always thanks us for our work and bring us pastries and wraps!
The few chances I ‘ve had to take calls in the call center are always entertaining. It’s amazing some of the questions people call about. Right now for the most part all the calls are in regards to FEMA, shelter or the flood.
So far the main tasks we have been working on are taking damage assessment forms from people, then calling them back to ask if they are safe, if they need food, clothing, shelter or city information. Then we figure out if they will need volunteer help with clean up so we take more information about what and where the damage is, the people who live there and other items. We are also in charge of filing all of this and keeping it organized because we have to enter everything into the data base.
Yesterday I was asked to sit in on a meeting between FEMA, United Way, Serve Rhode Island, Hands On Disaster Relief, the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations to take the minutes. I felt like I was in college again and it was wonderful to be involved in what was going on and hear about the next steps in the recovery process.
Last weekend we were asked to work on Easter, which I was a little surprised about, but if a disaster doesn’t rest then neither do we. However, we did get done around 2 and had the chance to head up to Marshfield for some Easter dinner with Chris’ family and then enjoy the warm weather on the beach. If felt great to get out of Cumberland and away from all the disaster madness.
Hands on Disaster relief showed up a few days ago and they are getting things rolling on the clean up side. Volunteers are now out and about going to peoples homes and seeing what they need help with and what kinds of tools or skills are required.
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