Bellevue
resident Tim Davidson has volunteered for the local
American Red Cross for nearly four years and has spent much of that time
learning as much as he can about disaster relief. Tim can drive the
feeding vehicles, work in a shelter and assess disaster-caused damage,
information case workers need when assisting the community.
Tim
spent seven days in Southern California
at the end of October to assist the thousands of residents
whose home were destroyed, and helped out wherever he was needed. He drove
vehicles, delivered supplies and also surveyed neighborhoods noting the
damage of each area. He handed out flyers with Red Cross contact
information and comforted the people he came across.
“I have
never seen houses that were burned like this,” he said. “The most that was
left was a chimney. And every one of the cars was missing paint, they were
all silver. You can’t believe how bad it smelled.”
He
couldn’t help but notice the randomness in which the fast-moving fire
chose its targets.
“Most
streets were fine and then you come around a corner and then the whole
street is gone,” Tim said. “Then right in the middle of 30 houses only one
house is gone.”
All of
the families Tim met said they were grateful that he was there. Some
wanted hugs.
“It was
overwhelming, you can imagine; people literally just lost everything,” he
said. “I talked to people that jumped in their pool and rode out the fire
while everything burned around them.”
“It’s
neat to be apart of such a large team,” he said. “I felt like I was doing
something that was worthwhile. It just makes you feel good.”
And he
would go again if he had to.
“If I
was called tomorrow I would go, flat out, with out any reservations.”
