Day 5

Day 5 is down and I'm halfway to going home. I have to say, I'm really wishing I could stay longer, but I suppose I better actually go to class next week. But anyways, what about today? Today I did a variety of different things, all with the goal of ending the DR. Throughout the day a few calls came in for assistance to specific clients. Following up on those took much of the day, as I was referring clients to resources who could get their meds replaced, sending them vouchers to replace their eyeglasses, and helping them get medical equipment replaced. This involves a lot of phone calls and other sundry desk jockeying. Even so, it is still a great and rewarding experience to help people get things back that will let them carry on their lives.

Interspersed with doing follow-up and running errands for the health service chief, I slowly got more and more involved in the condolence calls. With the staff that had been running condolences gone, I am getting worked in on them to help out. I spent a decent amount of time ensuring that we had contacted all of the families of those who died in or as a result of the storm. This distinction can actually become pretty difficult to make, so the unpleasant task of finding out the details of deaths and determining how to handle them became mine. So, requests were sent to FEMA for a list of fatalities and calls were made to medical examiners, and we moved down the list and made more calls, and then did it again. It isn't very enjoyable, but it is important work and our clients appreciate so very, very much that it makes it all worthwhile.

Well, after a good day of good work, I'm off to bed before Thanksgiving Day. It'll be back to work at 8 am, but only for a partial day. We get off at 2 and then we will have Thanksgiving dinner together as a big Red Cross family (And we've also been promised some mystery entertainment. I'm holding out for an open bar and staff karaoke). So, I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, I know mine will be with an opportunity to help some people who really, really need it tomorrow.