RPCV - Crisis Corps / Katrina - Group 14

Wednesday, October 26th, 2005 to Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005

A total of 272 RPCVs volunteered for Crisis Corps/Katrina, serving in 6 states over a period of 3.5 months.

Group shot (including 3 Dept of Labor Volunteers from DC) at Fema Headquarters in Orlando. This was a flash back in time for me - it had been just over 30 years since I left the Peace Corps. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all 24 other Volunteers, though only for a short month. It was wonderful to hear the stories from the different countries and different years that everyone had served in, and even to tell some of my own stories not told in a long time. These stories remain as much alive to me, as the stories that we heard from the hurricane evacuees. photo by Anne Todd Front,Row1: Anne Todd (Togo;68-70),Patricia Morin (Bulgaria;99-01), David Bart (Romania;02-04), DOL-Mike, Row2: DOL-Larry, DOL-John, Grace Campbell (Panama;01-03), Gina Meza (Albania;04-05), Eileen Schuhmann (Senegal;01-05), Pat Parish (Ethiopia;62-64), Bob Parish (Ethiopia;62-64), Amy West (Gabon;97-99) Row3: Rebecca McSorley (Burkina Faso;02-04), Jim Heaton (Morocco;98-00), Nancy Paulin (St. Lucia;73-75), DOL-Laura,Scott Swanson (Haiti;84-85) Back 2 Rows: Kirsten Mindrum (Kenya;01-03), Hollee Pattison (Malawi;02-04), Beth Tomala (Kenya;01-03),Meg Walsh (Niger;02-05),Matt Gehrke (Kazakhstan;03-05), Kate Rooney (Ecuador;03-05),Brenda Starr (Morocco;65-67), Mary McEwen (Togo;01-04), Phil Hughes (Kenya;03-05), Clarence Walker (Ecuador;84-86), Way Back: Rod Rylander (Philippines;88-90,Belize;00-02), Joe Veneklase (Philippines;80-82) Missing: Jonathan Clifton (Ukraine;98-00)

Links:   Training in Orlando, FL   Destination: Little Rock, Arkansas, Oklahoma   Oklahoma Map, DOS   FEMA/OEM documents   Who's Who, emails   Responses (7 months post-CrisisCorps) Other Links:   Rod Rylander's Hobbit House   Crisis Corps Open Positions

On Thursday morning, October 20th, 2005 I listened to a phone message from Robert Disney, RPCV Crisis Corps recruiter, requesting that I set up an interview time and provide 3 references to be called that night. This was in response to my volunteering for the Crisis Corps and its Katrina relief. Friday morning, I informed my Mass Mutual boss(es) of an imminent departure for one month - they were very helpful and supportive .. I then filled out and faxed my medical paperwork to Washington DC. I was told to bring a sleeping bag and pillow, and to expect to work 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week ... they did not know whether I would end up in a tent city or hotels. Monday night, I celebrated my 55th birthday with 2 of 3 sons (Matt-16 and Bill-20) and husband Charlie. Oldest son Chris had moved to Arizona the previous week. I also found out that night that I had been given a 7:00 am flight from Hartford to Orlando for Fema training, the next morning. The long and short of it - after spending 5 days in Orlando, where we were Fema-trained, background-checked and fingerprinted, our group was assigned to work in the 'shelter states' of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Thirteen volunteers ('Affiliate Fema employees') were assigned to Little Rock Arkansas JFO (Joint Field Office). Two ('strong males') were assigned to Albuquerque, NM. And I was among the ten assigned to Oklahoma City. We were instructed to 'buddy-up' and then we all flew to Little Rock Arkansas. We all rented cars and were given laptops and cell phones - one car and laptop per 2 buddies. After a couple of days in Little Rock, 10 of us headed to Oklahoma City.