A Pillowcase Promise

Written by: Cuthbert Langley, South Carolina Region

Pictures by: Kristen Perdue, Virginia Region

“It just happened.”

Ten-year-old Tanner said it happened in seconds. He was watching television with his mom in their Hopkinsville, Kentucky apartment around 9:30 p.m. on February 24. In almost an instant, they had to make a run for their lives.

“The lights just turned off, and then my mom said the wind was really blowing,” said Tanner. “She just started pulling my arm and we went out.”

They ran out of their apartment into the hallway after a tornado ripped through the complex. The family watched from underneath the apartment’s stairwell as part of the ceiling caved in. Tanner stood next to his younger neighbors and quickly realized he needed to help them.

Larissa, Tanner's mother, speaks with Mary Summers,
Regional Preparedness Manager for the Kentucky Region

“They were really scared and really nervous, and he put his arm around [their] shoulders, and he was like, ‘everything’s going to be fine. We’re safe here under the stairs.’ He was amazing, just amazing,” his mom, Larissa, said.

Turns out, just a couple of weeks before the tornado hit, Tanner participated in the Red Cross Pillowcase Project at his school, South Christian Elementary taught by Kathy Hayes, a Red Cross volunteer.  Thanks to a grant from Disney, the Red Cross, and volunteers, like Kathy, are able to teach 3^rd-5^th graders preparedness tips for local emergencies. Tanner learned during Kathy’s presentation about tornado safety, including picking a safety spot—the apartment’s stairwell—where he could meet his family outside of his home.

The program also teaches coping skills to help kids through those emergencies. Tanner used some of those same skills to help his younger neighbors.

“[Mrs. Hayes] said breathe in, breathe out.”

Volunteer Kathy Hayes presents Tanner with a new
pillowcase and emergency supplies.

In addition to learning about skills, Kathy gave the children a pillowcase they could decorate and use as place to store their own emergency kits. However, she taught Tanner and his classmates to leave the pillowcase behind in “act fast” emergencies, like tornadoes, when there is no time to spare.

That’s a message Tanner remembered that night.

“I wanted my pillowcase, but I didn’t [grab it],” Tanner said.

Hayes also promised the children that, if they lose their pillowcase due to a disaster, she would replace it. She followed through on her promise and met Tanner to replace his pillowcase.

In the backroom of the Red Cross chapter, Tanner quickly sat down and began decorating his pillowcase. He excitedly looked through all of the emergency supplies Kathy made sure he received.

“It did make a huge impression on him,” his mother said with a smile.

Tanner and his mom are now living with family while they search for a new place to live. The family will continue to work with Red Cross caseworkers to create their recovery plans.  

National Volunteer Week: Judy Cothern

Everyone in Simpson County knows Judy Cothern for her servant’s heart and involvement with a number of organizations throughout South Central Kentucky.

Judy became aware of the American Red Cross when a family member experienced a fire and Red Cross volunteers responded. This got her attention. She decided she wanted to learn more and put the mission of the Red Cross to the test. After her initial training she decided she was ready to respond to see if volunteering for the Red Cross was a fit for her. Unfortunately, the first home fire she responded to was one of her neighbors. While it was heartbreaking, she found it rewarding to have the tools and resources to help during one of life’s darkest moments. Judy has been instrumental in leading Red Cross initiatives in Simpson County and South Central Kentucky ever since.

Judy serves as the Community Volunteer Lead for the Red Cross in Simpson County, conducting volunteer meetings and recruiting volunteers. She is the Disaster Action Team Captain and responds 24/7 to fires, floods and tornadoes. She serves as a liaison between the Red Cross and local Emergency Management. She has opened and operated shelters following floods and an apartment fire.

Judy has taught disaster preparedness to teens and the Pillowcase Project, a preparedness program for children, to third through fifth graders in Simpson County. The children are then encouraged to go home and teach their families. She finds empowering children to know what to do during a disaster incredibly rewarding.

Judy’s services are not only limited to Simpson County. She also serves as a mentor to the Logan County Disaster Action Team, and has assisted with fires, flooding and tornado responses throughout all of South Central Kentucky. She has deployed on several national disasters, not only to help those impacted, but to grow her knowledge and skills to better serve here at home.

In addition to her work with the American Red Cross, Judy is very involved with the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life. She is active in her church, and this past winter, became very involved with Franklin’s Room in the Inn, which housed homeless throughout the coldest months of the year.

Judy has aligned herself with organizations that are there during some of life’s darkest hours – disaster, cancer, homelessness. Her passion and love for others is contagious. She wants people to feel valued and have the best the world has to offer, and her selflessness is an inspiration to anyone she meets.

If you would like to find out more about joining the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer

Volunteer Profile: Kathy Hoff

From her time as a Red Cross Donut Dolly in Vietnam, to disaster responses across the United States, to her current service in Lexington, Kentucky, Kathy Hoff has devoted years of time and talent to helping the Red Cross in a variety of capacities.

Kathy’s first volunteer experience with the organization was in 1969. As an adventuresome recent college graduate, she and her roommate saw a newspaper ad to go to Vietnam as “Donut Dollies”, and they signed up. She spent the next year there, offering moral support for the troops. The Dollies, a name inherited from their predecessors in World War II and Korea, would run recreation centers, put on self-designed programs to entertain the troops, and visit hospitals, which was difficult and heart wrenching for Kathy.

“As long as we could take the guys’ minds off the war, that was our main aspect of having them do these games. A lot of times I would just sit and talk. I did not like going to the hospital, because I had to smile and be cheerful, and seeing these guys that were my age and younger, and what they’ve been through [. . .] that was really challenging,” she said.

Kathy Swanson Hoff serving as a Donut Dolly in Vietnam

Following her service in Vietnam, Kathy occasionally volunteered for the Red Cross, but after Hurricane Katrina, she became more involved again. She was deployed twice following Katrina, spending three weeks in Mississippi operating an Emergency Response Vehicle, and then spending two weeks in New Orleans canteening and feeding the thousands of displaced residents. Since then, she has responded to numerous disasters across the country, including relief operations in California, Iowa and Texas, and on the East Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. She used to teach disaster classes, she presents the Pillowcase Project (a free disaster preparedness program) to elementary school students, and she’s continued her work with the military, serving as a Service to Armed Forces Specialist and donating her time at the local VA hospital.

A retired teacher originally from the Seattle area, Kathy and her husband moved to Lexington five years ago to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. Volunteering is a way of life for Kathy, and she has discovered plenty of volunteer opportunities in the Bluegrass. She’s an officer in the Citizens Police Academy, works with the Lexington Opera House, coaches a Special Olympics softball team, ushers for UK Athletics events, and helps out at her grandchildren’s elementary school. Connecting to others, especially those less fortunate, is a gratifying experience for her.

“It’s just giving of yourself, just thinking of other people, and not worrying about yourself and all that’s going on. It’s just such a good feeling to help. There’s a lady at the VA where I volunteer. She’s 98 years old, was a nurse in World War II, and she just beams when I walk in” she said.  

She feels connected to other volunteers with their shared interest in helping others, and she’s stayed in touch with a number of fellow Red Crossers from her deployments around the country. Kathy is also relaying the importance of volunteering to younger generations by involving her grandchildren in numerous activities.

“It’s a great feeling to give of yourself. When you get a hug [. . .], that’s the biggest pay you could ever have.”

Click here to learn more about the Donut Dollies, and if you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer .

Volunteer Profile: Jane Holycross

Jane Holycross is a Red Cross Volunteer with many different titles. Her journey with the organization began in April 2014 after an injury displaced her from her factory job, and she started working at the front desk of the Red Cross office in Sydney, Ohio. She had little knowledge of the Red Cross, however, once she started networking with other staff, she joined and took all the necessary classes to become a Disaster Responder. In September 2014, she moved back to her hometown to have surgery, and upon recovery, she reached out to the Eastern Kentucky Chapter Red Cross to see if they needed any assistance. She was welcomed with open arms by Executive Director Joanna King.

Jane currently has a leading role in The Pillowcase Project, a program that is committed to helping elementary schoolers become better prepared for a disaster or emergency. As part of the program, the students receive a pillowcase to build their own emergency supply kit. “My girls and I grew up having a crafty side, so I enjoy making these projects,” she explained. Her most memorable Red Cross moments come from her experiences with the students. “The joy of watching a child’s face and knowing that they are learning from you on how to be prepared is priceless, the Thank You notes we receive back from them will put a tear in your eye,” she said.

Being with the Red Cross for two years has taught Jane a lot about the importance of volunteering. “Volunteering is a great way to do something for your community, whether it’s a disaster call or doing an event based project, a volunteer can never do too little,” she said.

If you would like to join the Red Cross as a volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Five Years of LG&E Pillowcase Project

2015 marks the fifth year that LG&E and the Red Cross have presented the Pillowcase project to elementary school students. The Pillowcase Project was created after Hurricane Katrina to provide emergency preparedness support for children. 

Volunteers in the project visit schools and guide students through an interactive presentation about the importance of being prepared for disasters such as tornados, house fires, and ice storms. Each student receives a pillowcase with several items to keep in case of emergencies, including first-aid supplies, glow sticks and crayons. Students are encouraged to decorate their pillowcases, add their own supplies, and to keep them somewhere they will be able to easily access during a potential disaster.

It is the hope that kids will share what they learned during the presentation of the project with their family and discuss having an emergency preparedness plan at home. Check out a video of the presentation in action below.