7937
From: Bill Silver Eagle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: SuperStorm Sandy: Camp FEMA Update........ny or burredmyrrh confirm?
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Camp FEMA Update: “We Feel Like We’re In a Concentration Camp” Mac Slavo November 11th, 2012 Though details are scarce and media coverage has been completely restricted by officials, stories of what victims of Hurricane Sandy are experiencing at the hands of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of the storm have begun to emerge. The few available images from these so-called “tent cities” suggest that Camp FEMA isn’t all it’s cut out to be, with one resident using some choice words to describe how FEMA and the Red Cross have completely failed at their jobs. |
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7938
From: sherrie from Tenn, [DNS_Address]
Subject: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a shelter
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You can hear all types of things. I can tell you I am a disaster volunteer with the Red Cross and just got home from being in NY for 16 days. The Red Cross is doing an amazing job. I was a Supervisor at a shelter for the special needs people. We did everything possible to create as good of a place for the people as possible in a high school. The media harbors on one person saying something, what they don't show is the thousands of others being helped and are appreciative. We who volunteer give up our lives for a minimum of 14 days with the Red Cross. We have it in our hearts to do the best we can for others. There is a MAJOR need for more volunteers for the Red Cross to get more done. But that is the problem, the Red Cross is all volunteers, so to get more done... more volunteers are needed. I have been a disaster volunteer with the Red Cross since 2005. |
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[7946] [7939] [7941] [7942] [7944] [7948] [7958] [7953] [7954]
7946
From: ny, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Thank You, Sherrie
| deep thanks |
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7939
From: kay.so.or, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a shelter
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and 'thank you' sherrie for being there to help the people! It is good to hear another side of it, I know the volunteers themselves aren't living in luxury conditions to do this. I don't know how the Red Cross and Salvation Army, Fema works. Do they actually hire permanent workers that get trained and are 'on call' at a moments notice? Even if people themselves 'get prepared'...nothing can get you ahead of the game if everything is wiped out...the next best thing is to have a place to run too. Thank you!!! kay |
7941
From: sherrie,tn., [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a shelter
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Those of us who are disaster volunteers are called to see if we can go for 14 days at the minimum in the Red Cross. We don't get paid at all. We give of our time and our lives for that time. FEMA people are paid, they are Federal government through DHS. It is not luxury living, I was on a cot a few nights with other Red Cross volunteers in a conference room of a hotel and then we were put in a hotel after a few days. Many stayed at army barrics (my one letter is not wor ing on the computer.) and then were having to stay on a ship at Long Island. They are still on it. I never found out what type of ship. I was luc y that the shelter was in NYC area and so I was able to be in a hotel. I was there at Staten Island for distribution of items for the people....for the "Dog and Pony" show with Janet Napolitano and many other government people. She came over to me and chatted with me and shoo my hand. I was smiling a "shit eating grin" needless to say. I have pictures etc. of her right before she came over to me. They held a news conference there and every media networ was there for it. I have lived at a shelter before with the people in Mississippi after atrina. Being a Red Cross volunteer is not glamorous but I LOVE doing it! I LOVE being able to help others and it is the best thing we can give in this life.... our time, our energy and our love to others... in my opinion. It is actually a selfish thing for me to do.... because I enjoy it so much. One of the best Christmas and New Years I have ever had was when I was in New Orleans in 2005 with the Red Cross and wor ing 15 hour days to feed people who were still in the city. I sincerely have the best feeling from those 21 days! So... everyone should understand and feel the awesomeness of volunteering for a length of time and the Red Cross is a great organization to do so. |
7942
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a shelter
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You are truly blessed. Thanks for sharing your story, experience and passion. |
7944
From: burnedmyrrh, [DNS_Address]
Subject: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a shelter
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Sherrie, YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! It's like Long Islanders who are suing LIPA. They forget HOW EXTENSIVE THE DAMAGE WAS! Yes, it is HORRIBLE FOR THEM TO BE OUT of electricity and heat for 12 days or so ... but to sue the company when I KNOW THEY DO THEIR BEST to get EVERYTHING GOING AGAIN after such a destructive storm ... I think it's unfair! I feel EVERYONE DID AN AMAZING JOB CONSIDERING THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE in this tri-state area... We have something like 12 million people and so much was under water. |
7948
From: sherrie,tn., [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a...
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What is amazing is I lived in St. Croix Virgin Islands and was wiped out during Hurricane Hugo. I lived for 10 months without electricity and lived a year without a phone. People feel that the day after disasters they should be given everything needed and all electricity on with in a couple of days. I have heard people tell us Red Cross volunteers that we should have been there for them within hours after the hurricane hit. I sincerely don't understand how people can't use commonsense that they are not going to be immediately saved nor everything put bac together within hours/days. People should have plans and supplies for a duration of time, especially those who live on the coasts. But again the media grabs the few people who don't understand that and cause a big deal over it. It ta es any organization a few days to mobilize and get items shipped in to help those in need, besides getting people/volunteers to the area to help. I was called at night and I flew up the next morning to Philly and had to rent a car to drive to NY (White Plains) to the Red Cross headquarters set up there for greater NY. The Red Cross was/is going door to door, giving food, blan ets, clean up its, comfort its (letter still not wor ing), around the Staten Island, Long Island, NYC, etc areas. You are welcome to all..... but honestly it really IS a selfish thing for me to do! I do sincerely LOVE doing it! I will be writing about the experience on my blog, but I don't thin I can fully express my experience at the special needs shelter. I will put pics from Staten Island and Janet Napolitano etc in the post. As hard and difficult as it was (my hardest and most difficult deployment ever with the Red Cross), my hope is that I helped ma e a permanent positive difference in a couple of hundred people's lives. |
7958
From: terra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a...
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Thank you Sherrie,as a volunteer working with Children,i agree,it is it's own reward--I would pay them to LET me do it if i had to!lol--I always tell people that say they are bored to PLEASE volunteer for a charity,redcross,etc.children's or regular hospital--V.A Hospitals,Senior centers and people who are shut ins --there have never been so many seniors who need a hand-- Thank you Sherrie and GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL OF THE AWESOME VOLUNTEERS IN THIS WORLD!!! Love and Light Terra |
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7953
From: Cara, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a...
| Thank you sherrie - it's people like you who restore one's faith in humanity. I'm sure you guys are doing an amazing job under difficult conditions and all. I personally donate to the Red Cross regularly for one thing or another, not only on general principle, but one never knows when one might need the services in one's own area. Since I live in west coast quake country, that's not beyond the realm of possibility. Your enthusiasm and genuine care for people shines through which is what we all need in challenging times. You're quite right about the importance of people being prepared for even weeks before any kind of help comes. When whole things are wiped out, as you experienced, it can take a LONG time to get it back, even recovery efforts get underway. Good job sherrie!:) |
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7954
From: burnedmyrrh, [DNS_Address]
Subject: I was just there with the Red Cross - as a Supervisor at a...
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One thing I read today, that one 1,100+ people are without electricity today. That there are so few people left without electricity is AWESOME! Also that many still don't have toilet paper! That got me cs that's the basic of the basic isn't it? And something we really don't think about too much! |
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