“I went as soon as planes could get there; I believe it was about September 15th.  I was there until mid-October.  I was assigned to the External Relations group in Public Affairs; however, we all did whatever was needed. I was assigned first to a Respite Center at Ground Zero and then spent time at the Family Assistance Center. I also spoke to specific groups about what the Red Cross was doing and where they could go for assistance,” says Carrie about her deployment to New York City in 2001.

The memories of when she first arrived are vivid, “The smell was something that stuck with me for about 5 years whenever someone mentioned 9-11 or the Twin Towers; my first thought was the smell of burning plastic/electronics”, says Carrie. “The enormity of the devastation, the rubble pile, and the first responders scouring the area was amazing. Whenever they came out with a body, everyone stopped, and there was a respectful silence, truly impactful.”

She says she was struck by the selflessness of the people who were there to help. Everybody was hurting, survivors and responders alike, as they came together in their disbelief, grief, and confusion about what had occurred.

“After I left NYC in mid-October, I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed by the trickle-down effect of the disaster.  For sure, the magnitude of lives lost, but also the huge number of people who were affected: hotel staff, limousine drivers, the movie industry – all the people whose livelihoods depended on jobs that were not available as Manhattan was shut down.”

Today, Carrie has 25 years of volunteerism with the Red Cross under her belt. She can often be seen leading our disaster operations from wildfires here in Oregon and SW Washington, to floods in Alaska, hurricanes on the east coast and tornadoes in the Midwest. There is little she hasn’t done while donning the familiar Red Cross disaster vest.

Most recently, she managed our response to the wildfires in SW Oregon overseeing sheltering, feeding, distribution of supplies, staff, relationships with federal, tribal, state and local agencies, and partnerships with other nonprofits. 

That role took her to the shelter in Chiloquin where she checked in on volunteers, evacuees, and even a veterinarian who was caring for evacuated animals.  She took a couple of calls and drove back to headquarters in Bend. All in a day’s work.