Vicki North of Sweet Home is working for the Red Cross in the path of destruction left by Tropical Storm Isabella.
North, who works for The Counseling Center, a private practice group in Albany, is a licensed professional counselor. She is part of the disaster mental health team for Red Cross and has worked on five previous national assignments.
When she goes out on a disaster, her responsibility is the emotional well-being of disaster victims. She also works with Red Cross workers to minimize stress levels.
North left on Thursday for Baltimore, Md., where she would receive her assignment somewhere in the area.
“I expect to see people pretty traumatized by the loss of their worldly belongings,” North said Thursday before leaving. Some will be homeless, some in shelters. “Some tell some pretty heart-wrenching stories.”
Some of her work includes going out with “outreach teams” to areas hit hardest by a disaster. There she will often see victims rummaging through the remains of their possessions.
North has been a Red Cross volunteer for three years.
“I’ve been to Texas in the floods several times,” North said. Those trips included Pasadena, San Antonio and San Angelo. She also responded to New York City and worked about five blocks from Ground Zero, the site of terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
There she did pretty much the same thing as elsewhere except a large number of people went directly to the Red Cross service center.
At that time, the Red Cross was providing vouchers for apartment rent, filters for homes and food until state agencies could take over.
“Some came just to tell their story,” North said. “It was pretty heart-wrenching to hear them tell their experiences.”
She also found tales of escape from the doomed buildings inspirational as victims talked of divine intervention.
“I’ve always felt a desire to give back to the community because I appreciate so much the things I have, and I have the resources,” North said of why she volunteers. “These experiences are character building, and I need that. There are blessings that come from selfless giving. I think I have an abundance, and I give from that abundance.”
As she prepares for work in a disaster area, “one of the things I try to do is shield myself from the horrors we see on the news,” North said. She doesn’t want to be traumatized herself before even going in.
In these areas, families may have homes that washed away. Dirty water rising inside homes present health hazards, and disasters also bring out the snakes, spiders and red ants.
“People handle it in a variety of ways,” North said. “Those that do best … have some faith community they’re involved in.”
Those folks say “yeah, this is awful,” but they’re thankful for their safety and the safety of others, North said. Others cannot cope. She helps them to realize they do have the strength and resources to make it through the difficult time.
“Some people mourn the loss of something we would consider fairly insignificant,” North said. Those are usually family heirlooms or pictures.
More than 1,000 Red Cross volunteers along with 100 Red Cross emergency response vehicles loaded with food and emergency supplies have been sent to the East Coast to provide emergency assistance there since the storm hit two weeks ago.
Before the storm roared ashore, one Albany resident and Red Cross volunteer, Bruce Miller, was assigned to work in the Falls Church, Va., call center. Loring Cannon of Albany is working in mental health services in Richmond, Va. He has been a volunteer for three years and is on his sixth national assignment.
“I’m just grateful that I have the capacity to do this kind of work,” North said. “I’m glad I can be one of the helpers instead of one of the ones that needs help.”
To donate or volunteer with the Red Cross, persons may call (541) 926-1543. Donations may be mailed to 3388 SW Pacific Blvd., Albany, OR 97321. Secure online donations may be made at http://www.oregonpacific.redcross.org.