Debra Evans was watching the weather reports as Typhoon Bavi was gaining steam.
More Top Picks Best Powered Usb Hubs For Pcs
As a volunteer with the American Red Cross, Evans sat in her Orland Park home preparing to embark on disaster relief efforts as one of the strongest tropical cyclones struck islands in the Pacific Ocean last month.
Residents were already trying to pick up the pieces from Typhoon Sinlaku that devastated the islands in April as they dealt with sustained 180 mph winds from the latest storm.
“We help them have a vision outside of this horrible thing that has just happened,” Evans said. “Calmness is what they need. They see the chaos. You constantly want to be the presence that is going to provide them with direction and safety. A lot of them are very afraid.”
Evans asked the Red Cross if she could be deployed and had about 24-hours notice to get her affairs in order and pack her belongings. She spent about three weeks in Guam as part of the first wave of responders.
It took about 25 hours of flight time, excluding layovers, for Evans to reach the U.S. territory. She joined about 300 Red Cross workers, some of whom had been deployed before the storm hit, to begin relief efforts.
Part of her job was to drive around the island to find anyone affected by the storms, she said.
Some residents Evans encountered were hunkered down in their homes or using tents, tarps, buses and cars as their shelter. They had no electricity, water or food. Homes were destroyed. Kitchens, which can be located outside their homes, were wiped away, Evans said.
Evans worked to figure out what provisions they may need such as food, water, hygiene kits or cleaning supplies. She helped residents find temporary shelter, though some did not want to leave their land. She delivered meals to people’s homes, carefully documenting where they were so Red Cross volunteers could return with more food.
Some residents she found hadn’t eaten in a couple of days, and parents had been sacrificing food so their children could eat.
In some cases, they needed a hug.
“Every minute people survive an event is one of uncertainty,” Evans said. “They don’t know what is going to happen next.”
The Red Cross doesn’t use the term “victims,” which has a negative connotation, Evans said. Rather, the storm survivors are clients, and it’s the Red Cross’s mission to serve them.
She worked 12 hour days in 100 degree heat and high humidity. It continued to rain.
“It takes a team,” Evans said, lauding the other Red Cross workers.
Little children would cry out with joy when they saw Red Cross volunteers.
“They’re over the moon,” Evans said.
More Top Picks Best Warm Light Bulbs For Migraine Sufferers
The people Evans interacted with were grateful for the help. But they were also not wanting to take too much.
“If they think that they are OK with what they have, they would send us down a path to their neighbor,” she said. “They were willing to give up any assistance to help their neighbors. It’s a selfless state of mind that is unparalleled.”
Evans worked alongside Red Cross volunteers from all over the United States as well as local island residents and nonprofit organizations.
It was exhausting.
Her work with the Red Cross, where she has been an active volunteer for about three years, stems from the beliefs instilled in her from her mom.
“No matter how busy we are, we were put here to be a service to others,” she said.
Evans, 66, has worked as a nurse in the intensive care unit and credits her profession for keeping her focused under pressure. She is now semi-retired and works as a private nurse helping patients after they’ve been discharged from the hospital.
Having a good attitude and being able to be flexible helps the task from becoming overwhelming, Evans said.
“I could literally cry for days if I weren’t able to keep my eye on the mission,” she said.
“The Red Cross pulled off something that was a Herculean feat. I was a part of that.”
Not everyone needs to deploy halfway around the world to make a difference, Evans said.
She praised the Red Cross organization for helping during crises, whether it’s the recent storms to fires or floods. The organization continues to look for volunteers and will provide meaningful work for them to do.
“If you can provide some kind of comfort, that act of a perfect stranger being there offering you shelter, a meal, something as simple as a blanket, is so fulfilling,” Evans said. “It gives you perspective on the world.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
More Top Picks Best Weighted Blankets For Insomnia