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Riding to the Rescue
Partners in life, a Mississippi couple share disaster relief duties as well.
By Sharon J. Alfred, Volunteer, National Headquarters
Monday, April 28, 2008 — When a destructive storm hit their home state of Mississippi earlier this month, Vivian Ferguson and her husband, Travis, refused to sit back and think about their own problems. Instead, they rode to the rescue of others, delivering hot meals to hungry people whose lives had suddenly been turned upside down by the devastating storm.
Vivian Ferguson dispenses food and comfort to victims of a severe storm that hit the Jackson, Mississippi area earlier this month. (Photo: American Red Cross.)
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The emergency response vehicle (ERV) that the American Red Cross had assigned to the Fergusons was flooded with water. But that didn't stop them from sopping up the water and driving the ERV about 130 miles from Greenville to Jackson to help feed others.
As Travis drove through distressed neighborhoods, Vivian staffed the ERV's window counter and talked to folks as she handed out food. Sometimes, she simply listened to people tell their stories.
"It's such a wonderful feeling to know you helped just one person," she says. "They are just so appreciative, and many will say, "God bless you and all that you do for us.' Sometimes they just want to talk [to someone with] a loving ear to express their feelings."
Helping Those Less Fortunate
Both Travis and Vivian have been volunteering with the Red Cross for six years. Both attended training courses to become qualified Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) volunteers, and together they have responded to numerous natural disaster operations, including Hurricanes Isabel, Charley, Katrina, and Rita.
"When we're called by the Red Cross district office, if there's any way possible, we go," Vivian says. "Even though you're tired and you think, ‘This is my last trip,' you [remember] how people appreciated what you did for them, and you get revived."
Vivian goes wherever Travis is assigned, and vice versa. Neither one finds that arrangement strange, but takes it as a matter of course. "Travis and I are partners in life, so it is natural that we do volunteer work together for the Red Cross," Vivian says.
Vivian says she keeps volunteering because she likes being able to help people who are less fortunate. She is caring and dedicated, and the results show. Just ask Mary Hamilton, director of community services at the Central Mississippi Chapter, which oversees the area where the Fergusons were deployed earlier this month. Both the Fergusons and especially Vivian "did a great job," she says.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.
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