Red Cross Caseworkers Join Family Fun Night in West Point, KY

Written by: Kristen Perdue, Virginia Region and Amy Miller, Kentucky Region
Photo provided by Jessica Rains

Every March, the American Red Cross celebrates Red Cross Month as a chance to honor and celebrate the everyday heroes who help us fulfill our Red Cross mission. This year, Kentucky and Southern Indiana rang in Red Cross Month with flooding up and down the Ohio River, and Red Cross volunteers that came from across the country to lend a hand to those who were impacted.

While some disaster volunteers drive emergency response vehicles, assess damage, or provide hot meals or clean up supplies, Red Cross caseworkers assist individuals one-on-one with recovery planning. Casework assistance could include connecting people with existing social service programs in their local community, getting them counseling, identifying child care resources, or helping to locate new housing.

After meeting with Red Cross caseworkers who had been visiting West Point, KY to help residents recover, West Point Independent School’s Family Resource and Youth Services Coordinator, Jessica Rains, asked the casework team to attend the school’s Family Fun Day event. After dealing with high water and the ongoing clean-up efforts, the event gave families in West Point the opportunity to take some much-needed time to relax.

Recovering from a disaster can be a confusing, emotionally draining and complicated process. After speaking with students and their families, Rains felt having the casework team attend the school’s event would be a helpful resource for West Point residents, stating she “hoped the Red Cross [would be] able to assist.” 

 
When they weren’t dancing to the live band with the other attendees, Red Cross caseworkers were able to introduce themselves to community members who had been impacted by flooding. Red Cross caseworkers were able to explain some of the services that the Red Cross provides, as well as inform parents on tips that can be used to ensure their child’s mental health after disasters. Iris Doty, a caseworker, stated her team was even able start cases while there to provide families with assistance.

“I am glad they were able to come,” said Rains, “Hopefully they were able to have some fun themselves.” 

After the event ended, Red Cross workers came together and spoke of the event as a great way to reach the community and spread the word about the Red Cross. 

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross here.

From Flooding to Family: Red Cross Volunteers Celebrate 50

Written by: Cuthbert Langley, South Carolina Region

Pictures by: Kristen Perdue, Virginia Region

When you walk into the Community Baptist Church in Henderson County, you’ll find seven people sitting in the lobby, chatting. There’s hardly a lull, never an awkward moment. Laughs are ever-present. You’d think you’re listening to a gaggle of life-long friends.

They’ve only known each other for six days.

Five people in the lobby are American Red Cross volunteers who have opened a shelter in the church.  The other two are Deborah and Shon Bear from Reed, Kentucky. Deborah sits with a smile as bright as her personality, her hair hidden with a beautiful, paisley scarf. She and her husband are at the shelter because they had to be rescued from their home as floodwaters forced them out.

“The water was all around us and they had to come rescue us,” Deborah said. “We had to climb down a ladder from our porch into a boat.”

Nearly a dozen first responders from the town of Reed and Henderson County helped the Bears escape. They’re now safe in a shelter, becoming fast friends with the Red Cross volunteers who discovered she had a milestone birthday quickly approaching.

“Everybody was sneaking around and I was like, ‘what are they doing?’” Deborah said with a grin.

What the volunteers were doing was secretly baking a cake and getting birthday supplies together. In the middle of the shelter on a chilly Tuesday, the warmth of friendship ushered in Deborah’s 50^th birthday.

“It was just a real joy,” she said. “They were all here with me. We had a little party; we had dinner, cake, and ice cream. It was wonderful.”

Little did Deborah know she, too, left a lasting impression on the Red Cross volunteers.

“When you lose everything you got and everything’s she’s gone through, it only takes a minute to give back,” said Red Cross volunteer, Lois Calloway.

Turns out, Deborah has gone through more than just a flood.

During that conversation in the lobby of the small church, Deborah was preparing to leave for Louisville. Not for a new home, but rather for six straight days of radiation treatment.

Deborah had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. However, cancer has stormed back into her life. Doctors recently discovered additional cancerous spots. This day, however, she wasn’t focusing on her fight ahead; she was reflecting on her time with the Red Cross.

“They have been a wonderful, best bunch of people,” she said as tears peaked underneath her eyes.  “I didn’t dream of all the things the Red Cross does. Everybody has treated me with dignity and respect.”

That was not lost on Lois who also knows cancer too well.

“Today is my husband’s,” the volunteer paused, “… would have been my husband’s 73^rd birthday.”

The cruel grip of cancer took her husband away four years ago, which is why she knew it was so important to stand next to Deborah as she celebrated her birthday.

“You think at least [on that day] she didn’t have to think about radiation and cancer,” Lois said.

As the conversation in the church-turned-shelter family room came to an end, Deborah reflected on her time with her new friends. She made sure every volunteer received a hand-written thank you note and a hug.

“If I could say any good thing about Red Cross, they’re angels […] It’s like God sent them down when we needed them in a crisis,” she said.

With tears flowing, Deborah says goodbye to South Carolina volunteer Ed Ballard.

While the group will separate, Deborah hopes to join them once her treatments are finished, not just as a friend but also as a fellow Red Cross volunteer. 

“I want to thank everybody from the Red Cross. When I get everything said and done, I’m going to go online and [sign up] to do some volunteering for Red Cross,” Deborah said with a smile.

Family Finds Comfort and Cups in Red Cross Shelter

Just as flood waters began impacting Kentucky at the end of February, brother and sister Dennis and Lisa Johnson, and their extended family arrived at the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff. As rain rushed in, they quickly realized they needed a safe, dry place to stay.

“Three more inches and it will be in my living room,” said Lisa, a resident of West Point, KY.

Dennis, who also lives in West Point, said his house was not at risk of flooding. Instead, he came to the shelter out of concern that the flood water may have stranded him in his home.

“We’re waiting to hear what the mayor says before we try to go home,” he said. “It may not be before the end of the week.”

The family arrived at the shelter with what they could carry. For their three-year-old niece, Angel, that meant a single bottle. When American Red Cross volunteers at the shelter heard that she couldn’t drink from the regular cups provided, the volunteers headed to the store and brought back sippy cups she could use.

“We’re drowning in sippy cups now,” said Angel’s mother, Jennifer. “The Red Cross has gone above and beyond.”

In addition to cups for the children, the Red Cross has provided food, blankets and cots, showers, and even shelter for the family’s dogs through Hardin County Animal Care and Control. The Red Cross will continue providing shelter and comfort across Kentucky for as long as it is needed.

By the end of the week, they are back in more permanent housing.

To find a shelter near you, please visit redcross.org/shelter or download the Red Cross Emergency App. If you have been affected by the flooding and need immediate assistance, please call 1-800 RED CROSS.