Lending a hand: Two weeks volunteering in Houston left deep impression
Courtesy photo - An aid station sets up to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houson, Texas. Tony Jamerson of Moses Lake volunteered as part of the recovery effort.
MOSES LAKE — Tony Jamerson said the experience of working as a Red Cross volunteer in Houston left a vivid impression. The first few nights after he got home “you still dreamed you were there,” he said.
Jamerson moved to Moses Lake from Seattle to help care for his aging parents, he said, and after they died he volunteered for Red Cross disaster relief projects around the Pacific Northwest. When Hurricane Harvey reached the mainland in Texas and Hurricane Irma hit Florida, he volunteered to head down south.
Originally Jamerson was scheduled to join the Red Cross responders in Florida, but the rainfall associated with Hurricane Irma flooded the Atlanta airport. Houston still needed Red Cross help too.
Harvey brought unprecedented rain to the Houston area, which meant massive floods. Most of the water had receded by the time Jamerson got there, he said, but the cleanup was just beginning. “You’re immediately thrown into rescue. My part of rescue was feeding.”
Electricity and natural gas lines were disrupted; roads were damaged, and some were still underwater. Jameson was among the crew that delivered meals.
“They gave us sectors to go to that were clear and passable,” he said. “The Red Cross crews delivered food prepared by volunteers from churches throughout the Southwest. Their congregations provide the mobile kitchens and the cooks in disaster situations.”
The Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations were helping people meet immediate needs, but many residents were having trouble getting past the emergency.
“It was shocking to see the amount of people displaced and waiting.” Jamerson said.
Houston residents were glad for the help they were getting, he said. “Ninety-nine percent of the people were grateful that we were there.”
Volunteers had arrived from all over the country to lend assistance, from organizations like the Red Cross, from churches, families, informal groups, individuals. “Our own citizens are out there helping when there’s a crisis around.”
Jamerson came home, he said, with a lot of new friends from among his fellow Red Cross volunteers, and a new appreciation for volunteer work. “I have a whole new respect and understanding for the need for volunteers when these situations occur.”
Jamerson said he’s ready to go if he’s needed in Puerto Rico, flattened by Hurricane Maria about two weeks after Irene damaged Florida. He added what he called a public service announcement. “The Red Cross always needs volunteers.”