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Pioneer Valley Volunteers Give Back to the Community
by Tara Lynch, Special to RedCross.org
Sunday, April 22, 2007 — Westchester County, NY - For Red Cross volunteers Gene Corbett and Steve Walbridge, their work on the New York flooding relief effort was not only a chance to give back to a community damaged by flooding, but also a chance to get to know each other as members of the same chapter - Pioneer Valley - in Massachusetts. During the past week, Gene and Steve have been a stalwart team on an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), delivering food, water, personal care items and clean-up supplies to residents in Mamaroneck and Yonkers.
Red Cross volunteers Gene Corbett and Steve Walbridge, after making the morning rounds in Yonkers for breakfast in the community.
(Photo Credit: Tara Lynch/American Red Cross)
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Corbett, a retired 29-year veteran of Verizon in Massachusetts, joined the Red Cross during the 2005 Katrina response. After having spent a total of six weeks in New Orleans for the organization, he is grateful for the opportunity to give back once again to another community affected by disaster. "I've seen a lot of damage this week," Corbett noted. "Certain streets were just terrible. We drove up and down the streets in various neighborhoods to provide Red Cross service – and really saw the damage."
Corbett and his ERV partner, Steve Walbridge, also provided food to first responders such as the National Guard, police and fire officials helping with the relief effort. "What's been so sad to see here are the collections of toys, photo albums and other personal items – and cars that had clearly been filled with mud," remarked Walbridge. "These families have not just lost power, they've lost important things from their lives and cherished pasts."
Walbridge is a brand new volunteer to the American Red Cross. A Quality Manager for an aerospace manufacturer, he had just recently signed up with the Pioneer Valley chapter and had attended a Client Services class last week when he heard of the possibility of deployment. "On Monday of last week, my wife and I responded to our first local fire…and Tuesday morning, I was deployed to New York! It's been an inspirational and amazing experience."
Thankfully, Walbridge and Corbett have plenty of local support for their good deeds in New York. Corbett's wife has been very supportive over the past few years, and has come to understand the nature of disaster volunteerism. "My wife even helped me pack for this trip," he adds. As for Walbridge, he had just told his employer that he had signed up as a disaster volunteer and found himself back in the office 30 minutes later with word he would be deployed to assist with the relief effort. "People are so grateful to see the Red Cross truck pull up – it lets them know that someone cares."
Corbett also sees the change in people when they no longer need the Red Cross. "This morning, a sweet lady came up to our ERV and was so happy to see us; but she was so eager to also tell us that she's fine and she doesn't think she needs to rely on us any more. It's nice to see when people are on the road to recovery."
What's next for this traveling team? Corbett and Walbridge will soon return to their Pioneer Valley chapter, ready to respond the next time. "It's been such a remarkable experience; I've met some inspirational people and made some good friends along the way," Corbett notes. Walbridge agrees: "I've even received emails from friends back home who have heard I'm working as a Red Cross volunteer for these flood victims. One friend even wrote, 'Keep doing God's work, we'll get together when you return."
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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