By: Kim Mailes, American Red Cross

Kandy Hart, Missouri-Arkansas Region American Red Cross volunteer has arrived in Guam as part of the Typhoon Mawar disaster response team. “It was a long, long trip,” she said, “but I’m excited to join this important team that is making a difference for those affected by the storm.”

Kandy’s journey began in her hometown of Walnut Ridge, where she is part of the Jonesboro Chapter. She joined the staging team in Los Angeles where she was briefed about conditions on the island, which is a U.S. Territory, and what to expect when she arrived.

“Michelle Fasel with the Disaster Workforce Engagement Team was so helpful. She forwarded an email to me from Kim Mailes, a Missouri-Arkansas Red Crosser, who has been on the ground in Guam now for a couple of weeks. That information really helped me prepare and bring the right stuff along so I can fulfill the deployment.”

Kandy will be working the Disaster Assessment Teams, going house-to-house in the neighborhoods making note of the level of destruction of each home to provide a database for Individual Assistance, scheduled to begin soon. The IA will provide funds to help families recover and begin planning their lives post-storm.

“I was in Saipan in 2018, so I’m familiar with island disaster response operations,” Kandy said. “Just being able to help, and then seeing the progress made because of the Red Cross operation when I end my deployment and head for home makes me feel good and proud to part of such a great organization.”