In the face of tragedy

I feel deeply honored to support our 140+ AmeriCorops NCCC members staffing numerous shelters in NJ, RI, CT and NY.

 Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast just days before all of the teams were scheduled to return to campus and draw their year of service to a close. They’ve cleared trails, worked in schools, cleaned up neighborhoods, planted trees and now they’re giving a final push to provide safety and shelter to those affected by the storm. On Friday/ Saturday Michael (another one of the support team leaders) and myself drove up to NJ to help support the teams there. It’s remarkable to see the impact that these individuals are having.

 I had the pleasure of working an overnight shift at a shelter at Monmouth University. One of our team leaders was assigned shelter manager and with the help of her team and three other teams, they’re literally running the show. At 8:00 pm we helped finish up with dinner before cleaning the dining hall. We then assisted the disabled and elderly to the washroom and to bed, inventoried all of the food/ supplies, and monitored the dorm. Many of the clients slept very little and instead spent the night wandering the halls or sitting in the dining area.

Breakfast preparation began around 5:00 am and while half of the group set up the dining area, the other half were responsible for helping those who needed assistance to get out of bed and to the bathroom. Despite the many unglamorous tasks, spirits were high and the members were completely committed to making life a little more bearable for the people who’ve already lost so much.

I met 94 year old Deloris around 7:00 am. She woke up on her cot among 250 other clients and was very anxious because she didn’t remember why she was there. It was difficult because I could offer her little but a helpful hand and reassurance that she was going to get out soon although honestly, I had no clue when that would be. She asked me the same questions repeatedly, not remembering that I just found her medicine or already took out clean socks. As she washed up, she got so upset because she thought she looked ugly. “Don’t get old” was her advice to me. Despite the terrible circumstance that she was in, her gratitude was immense. She thought she was an inconvenience, but really what in the world could be more important or gratifying than sharing a little humanity with someone who desperately needs it?

After leaving the Monmouth shelter we traveled to a Jersey City shelter where another team was working alongside a multitude of service members. As they took us on a tour of the shelter, the pride that they had in their work was obvious. Our last stop of the day was Princeton, NJ where 3 teams are working in the Red Cross Headquarters. After two year in NCCC, I am still awed by the power that teamwork and dedication can have on communities. Many thanks to the all those in the field, and those supporting them in the background for reminding me what truly matters. 

Snow melting outside the makeshift shelter

NCCC members sorting donations