Red Cross deploys local volunteers

WENATCHEE - The American Red Cross deployed volunteers from Moses Lake, Soap Lake and Ephrata, to the South to help with disaster relief.

Debra Bergman-Pohle, of Ephrata, Darrel Ottosen, of Soap Lake, Tom Stredwick, of Ephrata and Robin Juergens, of Moses Lake, offered their time to help with people impacted by tornadoes and floods. They are part of a team of 12 members.

The volunteer's duties vary, said Marriah Thornock, executive director of the Apple Valley Chapter. Client case workers interview clients in shelters and help fill out paperwork necessary for receiving Red Cross financial assistance. Other volunteers help log people into the Red Cross "Safe and Well" website, where those in affected areas can leave messages for family and friends in other parts of the country.

One of the deployed volunteers will help with public affairs, to help get information on the relief effort "flowing smoothly to other parts of the country," Thornock said.

A typical Red Cross deployment is 21 days, but because hardships are expected for this particular deployment, the duration has been decreased to 14 days, Thornock said. Some supervisory volunteers may be asked to stay the full 21 days, she added.

Cheryl and Odin Rondestvedt, of Moses Lake, have experience in being deployed and offered insight into what the volunteers may experience.

The couple began volunteering with the Red Cross in 2005. They were deployed for hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike.

They spent three weeks in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina feeding people, Odin said. They helped run a Red Cross shelter in Mississippi for Hurricane Gustav that at one time held 600 people.

Odin, a former Seattle firefighter, said his former vocation gave him experience talking to people that have had their homes and possessions taken away from them from a fire or natural disaster.

"The first two or three days it's all of a sudden new and then they start to realize that the tornado took everything," he said.

It's important for volunteers to be on the scene and help victims talk things out, said Cheryl.

"I think that's the rewarding part, that I'm able to comfort and help out those that need help," she said. "When we went down to Katrina was probably the most rewarding thing I have done. People are very receptive, very thankful, grateful and humbled. It was just a good feeling knowing that we could do something to take some of the pain away and the destruction away and help them get through the day-to-day functioning.

"We're glad that we can do this and are able to help people out," she added. "I just wish we didn't have to."