Red Cross volunteers and staff members at Saint Dominic's Senior Care Home pictured in front of Red Cross supplies for residents.
By: Shannon Carley, American Red Cross
The Red Cross is responding to specific needs on Guam, distributing food to communities impacted by Typhoon Champi. At Saint Dominic’s Senior Care Home, the residents were in need of soft foods that their kitchen staff could not provide without power. In the absence of a generator to power their kitchen, the staff at Saint Dominic’s reached out to the Red Cross to see if they could provide food that would accommodate the dietary restrictions of their patients. When the Red Cross team walked through the door, Sister Corazon de Leon was there to welcome them with a smile and share that “we are so happy you are here.”
Sister Corazon de Leon discusses the senior care home's
experience during Typhoon Champi with Red Cross volunteers.
During Typhoon Champi three nurses and four nurses’ aides worked 24/7 to make sure all 36 patients were well-cared for. Saint Dominic’s is the only nursing home on the island of Guam. An essential part of their care is soft food that “will give them nutrition that they can tolerate,” says Jocelyn Zamora, registered nurse.
This is not the first time the team at Saint Dominic’s had interacted with the Red Cross. They knew they could call on the Red Cross to help. Jocelyn shared that based on her experience with the Red Cross during previous storms her impression was that “You guys have a mission, and you always carry out your mission.”
Other Red Cross teams spent the days following Typhoon Champi distributing food to apartment buildings and community organizations that lost power. Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care Manager, Tim Serban, and his team donated food and supplies to Sanctuary Inc, a community-based organization which exists to improve the quality of life for Guam’s youth. They run a 24-hour shelter and safe home for youth aged 12 to 17 who have run away, are homeless, and/or victims of abuse.
Red Cross volunteers and staff at Sanctuary Inc.
“This moment gave me deep joy, knowing that we were able to help a team whose sole dedication is the protection and safety of the children of Guam. In my 27 years with Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care, I was again reminded what compels me to keep coming back.” – Tim Serban, Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care Manager
Volunteer, Leon Wacker, distributes food to a community member at an apartment complex in Malesso.
The south side of the island experienced the greatest storm impacts from flooding and heavy winds. An apartment complex without power and the ability to cook was identified by Red Cross reconnaissance teams shortly after the storm. The day afterwards a team went out to deliver meals directly to residents.
So far, the Red Cross has delivered approximately 970 meals to individuals impacted by Typhoon Champi. If you are in need of support, please call the local chapter 671-472-6217.
The Red Cross is on Guam 365 days a year and responds to each disaster that impacts the island. As Sister Corazon de Leon put it, “every year the Red Cross helps.”
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/hawaii or follow us on social media.
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