For many of our volunteers, Stanley Shepherd was the face of our response when torrential rains caused major flooding in portions of the Central & Southern Ohio Region in April. Stanley sought refuge in one of our Red Cross shelters when the basement and first floor of his California, Ohio home flooded. “It’s a mess! That river mud, I’m going to have to throw away everything on the first floor,” Shepherd said when we spoke to him last Spring.
During the flooding, Stanley’s home-away-from-home for several days was the Red Cross shelter in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Oakley where he was under the care and comfort of Red Cross volunteers, including Gladys Watson and Bob Becker. “He’s such a sweet man,” Watson said as she reflected on the trauma Stanley and other flood victims suffered.
There’s often a personal connection that’s made between the Red Cross volunteers staffing our shelters and the clients they serve. “Everybody has been so helpful and friendly,” Shepherd said. “Every Red Cross worker that’s stayed here or just stopped by to check on things. They’ve all been really nice.”
Bob Becker, Stanley Shepherd, Gladys Watson
Sheltering those displaced by the April flood waters was a crucial part of our response which also included working with our partners to provide relief supplies and clean-up kits. We are proud to have participated with the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Fire Department to distribute nearly 400 clean-up kits.
While our volunteers worked around the clock to help those affected by the flooding in the Cincinnati area, local volunteers also traveled down to Central and Western Kentucky to help as part of a massive multi-state relief effort. Our volunteers joined other volunteers from around the country to support thousands of families pummeled by relentless floods and tornadoes across the South and Midwest. Among those volunteers were KC Vann from Franklin County and Fred Holmes from Athens County who, among other relief work, delivered lunches to the Red Cross shelter in Pikeville, Kentucky.
KC Van and Fred Holmes
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