A Disaster Relief Journey

When disaster hits, Mr. Rogers said to look for the helpers and be comforted in realizing there are so many caring people in the world. We speak with one of the helpers about her experiences in helping people after the 9-11 terrorist attacks and big natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

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Wisconsin Woman Shares Her Experiences As American Red Cross Volunteer

When disasters such as tornadoes, terrorist attacks or wildfires strike, support is needed. That’s where volunteers like Debbie McKinney, a Wisconsin native who volunteered with the American Red Cross for more than 20 years, come in.

The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 and received its first congressional charter in 1900. The organization is tasked by the federal government with providing services to members of the United States armed forces and their families, and offering disaster relief around the country and the world. Volunteers make up about 90 percent of the American Red Cross workforce.

For McKinney, who is the author of “Bringing Hope: A Disaster Relief Journey,” joining the American Red Cross as a volunteer started with a desire to pay it forward. When she was a single mother with three children — a 1-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a 5-year-old — she was blessed to have support from family, friends and her church while she got back on her feet.

“I knew some day I would be able to pay it forward,” McKinney said. “Maybe I wouldn’t be able to help those people back specifically, but somewhere down the road, I wanted to help.”

While reading a staff newsletter at Marquette University in 1992, she read one little sentence: “Disaster volunteers needed at the Red Cross.”

At that time in her life, her children were older, she was remarried, and, she added, ready to take on a new adventure. So, McKinney started volunteering on the Disaster Action Team in the Milwaukee-area, which involved helping families after they were affected by fires and making sure they had food, shelter and clothing.

Volunteering became a passion for her.

Debbie McKinney at the Bell of Hope at St. Paul’s Chapel in Manhattan. Image courtesy Debbie McKinney

“I … never dreamed when I joined the Red Cross as a volunteer what that journey would become for me.”

Her journey as a local volunteer also included work in Washington County and included her serving as the disaster chair in the county and as a board member.

McKinney described local volunteering as awesome, but said that now when tornadoes strike or areas flood, she wants to be a part of it.

“I wanted to be able to help on a bigger scale,” she said. “When we see and hear about disasters happening around us, for many of us there’s a natural inclination to want to help, and I was compelled to help, and was fortunate to be able to get the training and skills I needed, so when there were disasters, I would be able to respond.”

Her first national volunteer experience was when the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers fell Sept. 11, 2001.

“We stood in horror in front of our TVs that day and watched the World Trade towers come down and then, we wanted to help,” McKinney said. “We wanted to do something, we needed to do something, and for many people, all we can do is donate, which is great; that’s necessary. But like I said, I was blessed to have the skills already that I was able to go and get the call and go to respond.”

McKinney traveled to Washington, D.C. to work as a caseworker and spent three weeks on the phone with those who lost loved ones, helping track their financial needs after the attack.

Debbie McKinney helping with flooding in northern New Jersey. Image courtesy Debbie McKinney

“It was very emotional, talking with the families,” she said. “They had been through a lot and they had a need to share their stories … I did a lot of listening.”

Her volunteer work with the American Red Cross also took her to Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina, Northern New Jersey because of flooding, and New York City for Hurricane Sandy.

McKinney said that compassion is a needed skill for volunteers, along with a desire to help fellow citizens. Good communications skills help, too. Training is free for volunteers, and the American Red Cross provides assistance to volunteers for transportation and food costs.

Excerpts of McKinney’s book can be found online.