Paul McAllister
I had a really great experience on my national disaster assignment to the flooding in Georgia. I was assigned to client casework and ended up in an outreach position that required going out into the affected areas with another caseworker, a mental health worker, and a nurse. We would assess the client’s condition and needs and do what we could to replace what was lost in the flooding. We were often able to hand out financial assistance to replace lost food, clothing, bedding, and shoes, provide them with referrals to other agencies that may also assist them, replace any medical necessities that may have been lost, and provide them with counseling as needed.
It was extremely rewarding to see the client’s reaction to what we were able to do for them. Without question, I got the most hugs from strangers that I ever have in my life. The clients not only appreciated what we gave them but also appreciated that we were there, simply taking the time to let them know that someone cared. Many seemed thankful just having the chance to tell their stories to us. Everyone we talked to was extremely friendly and genuinely appreciative of the efforts of the Red Cross.
However, observing the damage and destruction caused by the flooding was often difficult to see. I remember well the first area I went into. It was an apartment complex where the entire bottom floor of all four buildings was destroyed by about 8 feet of water. The flood had occurred about 6 days before and the area looked like a ghost town. For some reason, the fire alarms of every affected apartment were going off, so there was a constant quiet beeping in the background. There were a few cars left that had been completely submerged and one or two families from the upper floors moving out. Everything under the waterline on the buildings was covered in mud. Dumpsters filled with ruined belongings from the gutted out apartments littered the streets.
We found one client on the bottom floor who was trying to salvage what they could from their home. They came out of their apartment in full plastic suits and masks. They let us come in and take a look at the damage. What struck me most was the stench of the mold; a strong musty odor that was difficult to bear smelling. Everything looked ruined, and what they could salvage, they said would probably never lose the smell of the mold. We offered them financial assistance because it was clear that they had lost everything, but they refused to take it, saying only that they knew other people who could use it a lot more than them.
Later we moved down the road to another house that didn’t look very damaged but had a large dumpster outside the home. We knocked and found two elderly women lived there. One of the women lived in the basement and had lost everything. The water had completely covered the basement. She cried while she told us her story, showing us her ruined family photos and heirlooms. We did our best to comfort her while we filled out the necessary paperwork to give her assistance, replacing her lost food, bedding, clothing, and shoes. We also filled out the necessary forms to have a mental health worker come back and talk with her. She was extremely thankful for the assistance and gave us all hugs as we left.
The next three weeks held many similar experiences. Each day, we were able to help several people and, as we left, I always said goodbye to them with a very good feeling what we were able to do for them. And in addition to all the great clients I met, I also made many good friends with the people I was working with. I had a great time working with other AmeriCorps from around the country and I met some amazing more experienced people who did a wonderful job teaching me the ins and outs of a national assignment. Overall it was an outstanding experience and I hope I have the opportunity to go out again.
