Responding to a call for help

Flooding has been hitting communities in NW Missouri. It has made national news.

I will remember June 30 for a long time. On Tuesday morning, while in class at the local Red Cross Chapter, I was asked if I might be interested in helping deliver lunch to workers filling sand bags. I offered to help; and yesterday was my first-ever field assignment. We prepared sandwiches, and loaded them up along with sweets, chips, and a variety of drinks:

We drove North about an hour to Mound City, and found the area where workers have been working at frenetic pace to prevent additional flooding. This area was under water just days ago; hopefully, the sand bags and a new berm at the base of the tree line will reduce the impact of new waters from Davis Creek:

Kelly has been running heavy equipment for a long time, and pitched in to assist local residents and volunteers:

Kirby Crawford was grateful for the sandwiches and the cold drinks:

As we were preparing to head back to St Joseph, I requested that we document the event one more time. We used the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) on this assignment – Brenda was my mentor on this trip:

I will continue training for Disaster Response, by taking additional courses offered to volunteers. I believe it is a great opportunity to contribute to the community, especially those in need when disaster strikes. If you are also wish to help, I encourage you to call the Red Cross to learn about the opportunities available as a volunteer.

You can read a short article by Kristin Hoppa in the St Joseph News-Press, our local newspaper.

— Al Navas