Breathitt County Resident Gives Back

Carter Jackson and his family had to act fast once the floods occurred in Breathitt County. “I remember waking up and the water had risen in my neighbor's backyard...I got scared, and 10 minutes later water was inside homes,” said Carter. 

Knowing the situation was alarming, Carter went to check on the town. “They were fleeing people by the bus loads to get out. We had to walk two miles back to get our pets.” Carter’s dad and brother went back to assist with evacuations. At that point, the conditions were dangerous. “We helped disabled neighbors out of their homes,” said Carter. 

Carter’s family returned to their home briefly to assess the damage and clean up. They shared their supply of water with neighbors. In the first several days the family didn’t have electricity, so they stayed with Carter’s grandmother in Lexington. 

Carter learned the Red Cross Emergency Operations Center was being staged in Lexington and decided to help. He volunteered in the kitchen, offering food, snacks, and drinks to the Red Cross workers. We love seeing a friendly face and appreciate Carter’s kindness!  

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org/volunteer.

Father and Son Deploy and Reunite in Kentucky

By Edgar Zuniga

“I knew it would happen eventually,” said Joe Poplawski, Red Cross New Jersey Region Disaster Program Manager. Joe has deployed about a dozen times over the last couple of years, but it’s the first time he has worked with his dad, also named Joe Poplawski, on a deployment.  

JoPop, left, with his father, Joe Poplawski

The elder Joe, who lives in southwest Florida, has deployed half a dozen times as a Red Cross volunteer, from Texas to California. Son Joe, who goes by JoPop at the Red Cross, credits his parents for his commitment to service. “They were always very charitable. I wanted to keep giving back. I joined the Red Cross and they hired me,” JoPop said.  

It’s truly a family affair. “I’ve tried recruiting my wife because it would be nice if we could deploy together,” the elder Joe said. But JoPop’s wife and kids are Red Crossers, so there are three generations of Poplawskis active in the Red Cross!  

Both JoPop and his dad make it a point to see each other multiple times a year, but seeing each other on this deployment has been special.  JoPop is deployed as the Deputy Assistant Director of Recovery and his father is doing shelter work, including driving our emergency response vehicles in eastern Kentucky. The love and pride between father and son is evident to everyone who interacts with them. It is thanks to Red Crossers like JoPop and his dad that we can respond to disasters when people need it the most.  

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org.

Legacy of Volunteerism in Perry County, KY

Honoring his namesake, Brenda Fletcher – granddaughter of Roy G. Eversole – says her grandfather would be so proud to know the elementary school that bears his name was being utilized as an American Red Cross shelter to care for those who were impacted by the recent Kentucky floods. “He was really dedicated to the people of the mountains,” explained Brenda, as she reminisced about her grandfather’s legacy in the community.

Brenda, right, speaks with Red Crosser
Misty Thomas

Roy G. Eversole was the superintendent of Perry County for approximately 25 years, according to Brenda, who said when the elementary school was built the community chose to name the school in honor of their dedicated leader, her grandfather. “He had many opportunities to leave but he would not leave…these were his people and he wanted to take care of them,” stated Brenda as she described his dedication to his volunteerism to Red Cross and how important her grandfather found the work to be for his community.

Brenda said she was not impacted by the flood; however, she shared a startling story of her friend who slept through the flood waters rising and awakened after they had receded, “she thought, oh my goodness, my toilet has overflowed.” Brenda said within a few minutes her friend realized the life-threatening situation she had slept through when she saw the water line on the side of her mattress, “She could have drowned.”

Brenda and her sister at Roy G. Eversole School

Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer at redcross.org/volunteer

Red Cross Helped Daniel’s Family, Now He’s Giving Back As Volunteer in Kentucky

By Edgar Zuniga

Daniel Rosado is carrying boxes in and around the kitchen at the Kentucky Floods Disaster Relief Operation Headquarters in Lexington. He has been feeding Red Cross workers for two weeks since the Red Cross began assisting folks affected by the floods in nearby eastern Kentucky. A Red Crosser with an empty stomach can’t focus on helping those in need so Daniel’s service is essential. It’s one of many roles he has undertaken, ranging from working in logistics to driving emergency response vehicles, back home in eastern Pennsylvania and in deployments since 2017.

“Every deployment is different. This is my eighteenth deployment. You develop that traveling family with the Red Cross,” Daniel said. “I get a good feeling from helping others. I was there one time so I know exactly what the feeling is and if I can alleviate that pain from somebody, I’m gonna do my best.”

Daniel knows the feeling because back in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit his elderly parents who lived in the Rockaways, a coastal area of Queens, in New York City. It was the Red Cross that provided shelter and assistance to his parents during that time. “The Red Cross helped my family out and I made a promise that sometime in the future, when I was able, that I’d give back. I started donating blood at first and then began working with the Red Cross as a volunteer.”

To those who know him, Daniel is a hero who not only installs smoke alarms back home in eastern Pennsylvania, but has been deployed to Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and North Carolina, just to name a few. “My family always tells me ‘thank you so much for what you’re doing. To take time out to help others when they need it and not expect anything back,’” Daniel said. “We come out here as volunteers with no expectation, other than to help somebody out.”

Learn how to become a Red Cross volunteer at redcross.org/volunteer.

Disability Integration Volunteers: Key To Equitable Care During Disaster Response

By Edgar Zuniga

All an elderly resident wanted, in one of our Red Cross shelters in Eastern Kentucky, was a talking watch.

“I found him one,” said Angela Smith, Red Cross Volunteer Divisional Advisor for Disability Integration. “Most people wouldn’t understand what the value of that is, but for someone who is visually impaired that could change their whole day. They can tell the time, plan out their day, it also helps people around them to know they are visually impaired.” 

Angela, Red Cross Volunteer Divisional Advisor for Disability Integration.

Disability Integration focuses on ensuring that every shelter meets access and functional needs. Volunteers like Angela, deployed as the disability integration chief to the Kentucky floods, ensure that we are providing services needed, all in accordance to the Americans with Disabilities Act. “If you need a prosthetic leg, a specific kind of wheelchair, if you need language interpreting, if you are hard of hearing or deaf, it is our job to provide you with an interpreter,” Angela said.  

Disability Integration collaborates with the different Red Cross disaster services, from mass care to mental health, and collaborates with community partners. “I call it interprofessional collaboration because everyone works together,” said Linda Connelly, a disability integration volunteer from Florida, also deployed to Kentucky.

“Unless we all work together, the client won’t get what they need, we can’t work in silos.”  

One such example, Linda said, was when she helped locate a bariatric bed for someone staying in a shelter, through Bluegrass Care Navigators, a local medical group practice. The bed was necessary not only for the comfort of the individual, but to ensure he would not develop pressure injuries, worsen skin breakdown, or just fall to the ground. “I think he felt dignified that we cared enough to make him our mission,” Linda said. “If you just help one person every day, that is one more person who has dignity and has what they need.” 

That’s what Bobby Sullivan, a Kentucky disability integration volunteer, did, Angela interjected. Bobby died in late July, but his work in Kentucky set the stage for equitable care in the state during the Kentucky floods response. “I’d like for him to be remembered as a caring, kind and devoted person to the role of disability integration.”  

It’s that devotion to dignity and self-determination, the right of all people to control and direct their own lives, that is at the heart of everything disability integration volunteers do. “Our job is to mitigate access and equity challenges to make sure that everyone is treated the same,” Angela said. “What disability integration does is take care of the whole community.” 

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org/volunteer.

 

Red Cross Volunteer Uses Time in the U.S. to Give Back

Stranded in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holly Ebdon found herself looking for something to occupy her time when she discovered an opportunity with the American Red Cross.

Holly was visiting the U.S. in February 2020 on vacation when her flight back to England was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Holly’s Visitors Visa expired before she had the chance to return home, so she applied for a Green Card with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services but was told she was not able to work in the U.S. until her Green Card was issued.

As a former teacher in England, Holly looked for ways to use her experience through volunteer teaching opportunities. That’s when she discovered Prepare with Pedro, a Red Cross initiative that teaches Kindergarten – 2nd graders disaster preparedness at an age-appropriate level. Holly says the local Red Cross chapter in the Central and Southern Ohio Region also asked her if she would be interested in becoming a part of the Disaster Action Team (DAT), volunteers who help assist those who are impacted by home fires.

In addition to becoming a DAT volunteer, Holly began deploying to national disasters. Her first response was in September 2020 to Louisiana where she helped the Red Cross provide relief efforts to survivors of Hurricane Laura. Holly says the rest was history, as she continued to deploy to various disasters across the U.S. while awaiting her Green Card – which was finally issued in July 2022.

“I always say to other people who say to me, ‘it’s fantastic what you’re doing’ but I say it’s fantastic what Red Cross has done for me,” said Holly. “I’m so grateful to American Red Cross…they have saved me in so many different ways. I couldn’t get back to England, I couldn’t work, I was literally lost in America, and they have scooped me up and taken me into their arms and I feel so thankful to the Red Cross, I could cry, literally cry.”

Holly served as a staff shelter manager during the recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky. She lives with friends in Ohio; however, she says she is only there approximately 10 weeks out of the year as she stays busy deploying to help with disasters with Red Cross. Holly has a planned trip home to England in late November to see her parents for the first time in almost three years, but says she plans to return to the U.S. and continue working with the Red Cross.

You can learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org/volunteer

Terre Shannon, Red Cross Disaster Health Services Volunteer

An essential part of Red Cross disaster work is the health services team. Terre Shannon is a part of our Disaster Health Services team providing medical necessities to those impacted by floods. Terre began volunteering with Red Cross by accident in 1994.

“There was an earthquake in California. I decided to take a donation to the office. Next thing I know, a TV station has the camera on me and asks how long I’ve been volunteering. I said I don’t think I’m with them- I just came to drop off a check. The Red Cross worker came up and said yes she is- she’s a Red Crosser!” explained Terre. 

Terre assisted residents at the Wolfe County High School Red Cross shelter. She explained she helps with injuries, illnesses, wounds, and medications.

“We get their medications that they lost and connect with the pharmacies to replace them,” said Terre. Multiple shelter residents had experienced cuts, bruising and headaches among other issues. Terre expressed appreciation for the shelter residents, saying “Everybody here has been wonderful. They have gone above and beyond. They jump right in to help each other and that helps the medical team.” 

During the December western Kentucky tornados, Terre was deployed to assist with health services. She remembers one woman she helped who was trapped under rubble. The woman was rescued and had bruises all over her. “I asked her, what can I do for you? And she said, ‘I’d really like a shower’ and I was thinking: how am I going to get her in the shower? I don’t want to further injure her. I held her up in the shower because she couldn’t stand. We both cried and she said, ‘please stay with me don’t go.’ I told her I had to go sleep but I will be back. I came back the next morning and had breakfast with her. She was so thankful someone could be there for her in that moment.” 

Giving back is a natural response for Terre. “I love helping people. Whenever I can help, I can. Because I would want the same for my family,” said Terre.

Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer at redcross.org/volunteer.