Michigan’s AmeriCorps Members Help with Natural Disasters down South

Welcome to summer. I am Misty Youngson, a member of the AmeriCorps: Together We Prepare Program serving with the American Red Cross in Traverse City. As you are aware, the Red Cross has had an active spring with the numerous disasters occurring throughout our country and state. We have deployed many of our members to floods and tornadoes in various locations such as Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and most recently to Missouri. Many of our team members were deployed as client caseworkers or mass care shelter staff.

I was deployed for three weeks to Arkansas to provide assistance to people affected by tornadoes and floods. I flew to Little Rock to serve as a client caseworker. From Little Rock, I was dispatched to Jonesboro, Arkansas near the Mississippi River. In this position, the caseworker interviews clients to determine what their immediate emergency needs are for food, clothing, and shelter. We then issue funds to help them through the first few days of the disaster. We will also let our clients know where to find open shelters or feeding stations in their area, so they may stock up on meals-ready-to-eat, water, or have a safe place to sleep for the night.

A client caseworker also provides emotional support to families. We give referrals to our nurses for health-related needs, as well as mental health staff for emotional needs. Referrals are also given to other agencies that are able to meet needs not provided by the American Red Cross, such as furniture, long term medical needs, or housing needs. All of these services are provided as gifts from the American public through the donations the Red Cross receives. The American Red Cross does not receive funds from any government agencies.

My experience in Arkansas was both heart wrenching and heart warming. Our disaster clients have experienced tremendous loss and suffering. Some do not know where they will live next month. However, even under such dire conditions, they smile, joke, and tell a story about their kin, neighbor, or pet. They thank us for being there, away from our own children, spouse, and families for three weeks at a time to provide service to them. Our clients are very appreciative of any service or information we provide, whether it is financial help, information on how to safely return to their home, or clean mold and mildew from the walls. 

A national deployment to a large disaster is a life-changing experience. You will return home with a sense of sadness at not having been able to stay longer, give more, do more.  However, you will also return home with a sense of pride at how resilient Americans are when faced with a crisis. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with the American Red Cross, call your local chapter or visit www.redcross.org for more information.