Volunteer helps Florence relief effort even as floodwaters claim her home

River Landing community in Wallace, N.C.

Daryl Steinbraker saw the floodwaters rising and knew she had to get to work.

She had stayed in her River Landing community in Wallace as Hurricane Florence approached North Carolina in September because she knew she would be needed in her role as Red Cross government liaison and disaster team coordinator.

What she didn’t expect was that the floodwaters would claim her own home. When she and her husband built in 2006, the year she began volunteering for the Red Cross, they raised the house a foot above where the floodwaters from Hurricane Floyd had reached in 1999. After Eastern North Carolina took a double punch from Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd, rivers rose to 500-year flood levels, according to federal data.

“We were assuming we’d never have a problem,” Steinbraker said.

 

When a mandatory evacuation order was issued for her area, she went to a friend’s. A couple of Coast Guard helicopters flew overhead, but she waved them off. But after the power went out and the waters kept rising, she knew she had to find a way out or risk being isolated.

A rescue boat was cruising by, with a Ski-Doo leading because the water was so high cars were underwater and difficult to see. The rescuers, a group from Marco Island, Florida, helped evacuate Steinbraker and her friend.

Daryl Steinbraker helped lead a rescue boat from Marco Island, Florida, to deliver supplies in flooded areas such as River Landing in Wallace, N.C.

When the rescuers asked what Steinbraker did, she was a bit chagrined to tell them she worked in disaster relief.

“I’m so embarrassed because I’m the Red Cross lead for Duplin County,” she told them. “I asked if I could help.”

It turned out that the rescuers needed help, too — they didn’t know the area, and addresses on homes were submerged and impossible to read. So Steinbraker served as their navigator.

They cruised through the River Landing neighborhood, an area with a large number of senior citizens, checking on residents and bringing food. At the time, some still were adamant that they wouldn’t leave.

“I’m not sure anyone was able to ride it out all the way,” Steinbraker said.

About 240 houses in the development were flooded out, said Charles Farrior, the mayor of Wallace who has known Steinbraker for years.

Daryl Steinbraker, left, and Wallace Mayor Charles Farrior worked together to open the town’s Campbell Center as a shelter.

At the shelters in Wallace, she had the advantage of knowing the community.

“One hundred percent of our shelter staff was from anywhere else,” she said.

When a shelter opened at the city’s Campbell Center, she used her local connections to get a full-sized refrigerator donated. She also helped smooth relations between the shelter and other programs running at the center.

“She knew the history of the place and provided continuity,” Farrior said. “She was phenomenal.”

Steinbraker also worked with Duplin County officials to deliver about 2,000 MREs to a neighboring county. She was a consistent point of contact for shelter staff and government officials.

Plus, she said, the fact she had been forced out of her home gave her “street cred” with residents at the shelters.

“I understood exactly how everyone was feeling,” she said.

Her home was underwater for days.

“My house had 27 inches on the first floor and 5 feet in the garage,” she said. Although she and her husband recently have completed the muck-out, it remains unlivable.

Daryl Steinbraker’s house in Wallace, N.C., was flooded for days, with water reaching at least 2 feet inside.

But Farrior says he never heard her mention her house even as she was working with the relief effort.

“She was all about helping folks in that shelter and folks in need,” he said.

That Steinbraker would use her time during the storm and after to take care of others comes as no surprise to James Jarvis, executive director of the Cape Fear Area Red Cross Chapter.

“Daryl has been such a great volunteer in Duplin — she always puts the needs of others first,” he said. “Even when she’s on an evacuation boat, she thinks of others.”

She remains humble about her effort.

“It was so much more of a gift to me, because your options are … you worry and you’re incredibly sad, or you get to go out and maybe do something that helps somebody else in it,” she said. “People think it’s selfless … but trust me, I got so much more out of it.”

Story by Michael White/American Red Cross

Photos courtesy of Daryl Steinbraker

Advertisements

From Hugo to Florence, Red Cross Volunteer Reflects

In September 1989, Alice Klundt deployed on her first national disaster response assignment with the American Red Cross — a record-setting major hurricane.  

The Montana native traveled to Puerto Rico to join relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, a fierce storm that made landfall as a major hurricane in both the Caribbean and the United States. Just a few weeks later, Alice united with the Red Cross in San Francisco to respond to the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake which injured thousands and claimed the lives of more than 60. 

Nearly 30 years later, Alice reunited with her Red Cross family in Goldsboro, NC after Hurricane Florence produced catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas. During her Hurricane Florence deployment, Alice worked with a volunteer relations team, traveling across the affected region to ensure volunteers exemplified the core values of the Red Cross.  

While her responsibilities are focused on volunteers, she embodies the mission of the Red Cross to alleviate suffering in all of her interactions. When stopping for directions at a convenience store in North Carolina, Alice’s badge drew attention from a patron and a cashier who both suffered home damage as a result of Florence. Alice connected each with the Red Cross.  

“I was glad that we just happened to stop there for directions,” Alice said.  

Alice is no stranger to North Carolina. Two years ago, she deployed as a member of the disaster response team for Hurricane Matthew. The Goldsboro Parks and Recreation’s Herman Park Center was home to the Red Cross’s headquarters during Hurricane Mattew and it opened its doors for the Red Cross again during Florence. Upon arriving in Goldsboro this September, Alice felt like she was at a family reunion because she recognized Red Cross volunteers and parks and recreation employees.  

Before Alice started deploying to major disasters, she served as a Red Cross volunteer by responding to local home fires. It is from this time that she recalls one of her most precious memories. At the scene of a fire, a distraught homeowner came up to Alice and asked if she could hug her. Alice compassionately obliged and remembers the sooty handprints left on the white knit dress she happened to be wearing.  

At 74 years old, Alice does not see herself hanging up her Red Cross boots anytime soon.  

She adds, “I’m taking away more than I’m giving, it’s almost selfish.” 

PHOTO: Alice Klundt shares Red Cross memories during her disaster relief deployment to Goldsboro, N.C. Photo by Sharon Penn/American Red Cross.  

Story by Shelby Raymond/American Red Cross 

Silver lining in the cloud of Florence recovery

Musician Deon Kipping’s song, “I Don’t Look Like (What I’ve Been Through)” perfectly describes Jordan Denoia, a Wilmington, N.C. resident. 

Jordan’s positive energy and resilient personality outshine the struggles she has faced since surviving Hurricane Florence in September. The storm threw more than a few setbacks her way, including the loss of her home and her job as a nurse. Jordan found relief in a Red Cross shelter in Wilmington, N.C., and stayed focused on the fact her situation was only temporary.   

After the storm, “I was sad and felt fearful for other people,” Jordan said. “I thought about all the people not in stable buildings and just hearing how people were affected. We are a community, an amazing community!” 

Red Cross disaster client caseworkers, disaster health services team members and shelter staff worked one-on-one with shelter residents to create each a recovery plan.  

In early October, Jordan beamed as she strolled through the shelter. After nearly four weeks in the shelter, she had not only landed a new job at another long-term nursing facility, but she was in the process of securing an apartment – a silver lining in what had been a bleak story.  

Story by Lisa Morgan/American Red Cross

Hurricane victim turned volunteer now helps others recover

Louisa Rodriguez has been volunteering with the Red Cross for many years. Over three decades, to be exact.  

Louisa Rodriguez

Most recently, she’s been lending a hand in Puerto Rico for Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and in North Carolina, for Hurricane Florence. The work can be difficult but knowing that she’s making a difference is what keeps Louisa coming back to the Red Cross year after year. 

When you meet Louisa, it’s easy to understand why people open up to her. Her warm, welcoming personality combined with her ability to empathise puts people at ease. It’s this skill that allows her to reach out to people in their time of need, imparting information that is key to their recovery process. 

“People talk to me without knowing me and it’s just—they open up to me,” Louisa said. “And they tell me things and I say ‘okay, this is what you have to do.’”  

Louisa has been working with a Red Cross damage assessment team, checking in on people that may have sustained damage to their home due to Hurricane Florence. It wasn’t long ago that Louisa found herself in similar circumstances. She, too, was impacted by a hurricane. It gives her a unique perspective on what people might be going through. 

“I say I understand. I understand what you’re going through because I was also a victim of a hurricane, and I know how it feels. I can tell you that because I’ve been there too. And I know how difficult it is,” Louisa said. 

This volunteer will continue to come back as long as she can. The strength and resilience of people going through disasters is inspiring, and she said she’s honored to be a part of their recovery process. 

“I have given them hope. And that’s the most important thing. That you leave them with hope,” Louisa said. 

Story by Corinne Mercier/Canadian Red Cross

Road for new Red Cross driver began with shelter stay after Florence

After a full day of intensive training, capped off with a road driving test, Patricia Ramos is on her way to becoming one of North Carolina’s newest Red Cross volunteer emergency response vehicle drivers. 

Patricia Ramos is on her way to being a new volunteer emergency response vehicle driver.

The Fayetteville State University student signed up for the driving bootcamp after spending time in a Red Cross shelter for people affected by Hurricane Florence. After that experience, Ramos knew she wanted to get involved with the organization. The work that teams on emergency response vehicles (ERVs) do was particularly appealing to her. 

For her, it’s about “being able to go to the people and to talk to them and see what’s going on,” she said. 

ERV teams go out to disaster-affected communities to deliver emergency supplies and serve meals. They may also deploy to other parts of the country to join large-scale disaster responses, as was the case for Hurricane Florence. 

Ramos was all smiles after completing various maneuvers with the ERV. To earn their certification, the students had to drive around cones, parallel park, reverse into positions as directed by their back-up buddy and demonstrate their proficiency on the road. That comes after learning about topics like food safety, equipment and maintenance procedures. 

Yvette Patterson uses hand signals to direct the driver of the emergency response vehicle during a training session. Patterson, of Fayetteville, decided to become a Red Cross volunteer after Hurricane Florence. “I thought this would be a good opportunity to help folks in my community,” she said. 

Ramos first got to know the Red Cross up close after Hurricane Florence made landfall. Before Florence hit, she had taken her mother and sister further inland from their home in Ivanhoe in Sampson County, North Carolina. They stayed in Albemarle, about an hour outside of Charlotte, for about a week before they decided to return to their homes.  

In Robeson County, they encountered numerous flooded areas, but were unable to find any available hotel rooms. They kept searching until they realized it was too risky to continue further. The trio ended up at the Red Cross shelter at Lumberton High School in the evening.

 Instructor James Buckley gives bootcamp students an orientation on the different components of a Red Cross emergency response vehicle. Three of the eight students that day were new volunteers with the Red Cross.

 

Now that Ramos is back at home in Fayetteville, she’s looking forward to getting more practice behind the wheel of the ERV. She’s also checking out other volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross, including helping at shelters and events, and even a possible internship in health services.  

She said it’s been interesting to learn about all the ways the Red Cross helps the community. “I think it’s an amazing organization,” she said. “It’s really out there to help.” 

Story and photos by Ann Kim/American Red Cross 

Meals cooked from the heart give shelter residents a taste of home

Cooking is Bertha Brewer’s talent and passion. And she put it to good use at the Smith Recreational Center in Fayetteville, N.C., when it served as a Red Cross shelter for people displaced by Hurricane Florence.

Caterer Bertha Brewer in the kitchen of Smith Recreation Center in Fayetteville, NC, which served as a Red Cross shelter. Brewer provided homestyle meals for shelter residents displaced by Hurricane Florence.   

Bertha considers herself lucky and was inspired by the resiliency of shelter residents, who numbered more than 150 at one point.

Bertha has her own catering business and a commercial kitchen at the rec center. While the shelter was operating there, she cooked meals for the residents about a couple of times a week.

“I just wished I could do something for all these people here every day,” she said. “But I did cook them dinner. I did cook them a dinner and they really appreciated that.”

One evening it was chili dogs, another time it was a chicken dinner — a choice of baked or fried — with green beans, macaroni and cheese and more.

“Just to get that little bit of home cooking was so wonderful,” said Nina Owens, a Red Cross volunteer from Alaska who managed the shelter kitchen. “It was a little something extra.”

Bertha downplays her efforts, noting that people always ask her how long it takes her to cook for a large group. “It doesn’t take any longer to cook for 50 people than to cook for 1,” she adds.

While Bertha has high standards for her cooking and enjoys seeing people eat her food, she isn’t much of an eater herself, running nearly all day on a bowl of oatmeal.

“I just enjoy doing what I do,” she said.

Story and photo by Ann Kim/American Red Cross

Red Cross volunteers’ quick-thinking saves life

Red Cross volunteers’ quick-thinking saves life 

Red Cross volunteers are on the front lines, interacting with people affected by disasters. Often, they’re the first people that arrive to help, whether it be by giving food or emergency supplies, or simply being someone to talk to. 

Kenneth Drum

It’s the part of the job that Red Cross volunteer Kenneth Drum enjoys most. A native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, he’s been volunteering with the Red Cross for just over a year. 

“Communicating with people, finding out what their needs are and being a friend. If I can put a smile on their face for 15 seconds, it’s 15 seconds of misery that they’ve forgotten,” Kenneth said. 

Sometimes, those interactions can be the difference between life or death, as was the case with one North Carolinian. 

Volunteers Maria Gubnitsky (left), Shelley Kilgore, and Maria Huffman.

Kenneth is an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driver with the Red Cross. He and his team had just arrived to deliver meals to people impacted by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. 

After chatting with one community member, it quickly became clear that something wasn’t right. She seemed unwell so Kenneth, who is a former firefighter and EMT, decided to contact the Red Cross health responders to assist. 

Volunteers Maria Huffman, Shelley Kilgore and Maria Gubnitsky arrived within minutes to find that she was, indeed, very ill. However, she refused to be taken to the hospital until she was certain that all members of her community had been fed. 

The volunteers, concerned for her wellbeing, provided care to her until she agreed to be transported to hospital by ambulance. 

Doctors had indicated that, had it not been for the quick-thinking of the Red Cross team and their insistence on getting her to the hospital, it’s likely she would have died. “I don’t think any of us expected the outcome, but it was clear she was sick,” Huffman said. 

For Kenneth, it’s less about his quick thinking and more about the team working together. 

“It wasn’t me. It was our whole crew. Everybody was involved.”   

Story by Corinne Mercier/ Canadian Red Cross