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When I left for Louisiana on Wednesday September 29, 2005, I had no idea of what was in store for me. I was both anxious and excited.  It was important to me that I do whatever I could to help those affected by these hurricanes, but I was also worried that I would be unable to offer any real assistance.  For the next three weeks I worked at the Community Residential Center (CRC) in Monroe, La.  This was a long-term shelter that was housing evacuees from both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.  My experience there was the most fulfilling, exhausting and humbling of my life.  We worked 12 hour shifts every day, and I was lucky enough to be assigned to a position that allowed me to have direct contact with the residents.  I had volunteered to be part of the Red Cross Security because I would able to walk around the facility and interact with the residents and my main role would be to try and help diffuse conflicts, something I think I can do well. I met so many amazing residents and the staff during my stay.  I was continually awed and inspired by the resiliency of the people who had lost so much; many of the residents had all they owned in two or three garbage bags (or less) and were having trouble getting financial assistance, yet many of them would greet me with a smile every day.  I was also inspired by the hard working ARC volunteers (many of whom were taking vacation time to help out) who were doing everything they could to help the residents.   I can not say enough about the Red Cross.  This was an unprecedented disaster and as a result, the Red Cross was doing relief on an enormous scale.  While mistakes were inevitably made given the size and scope of the aid needed, the effort and dedication of the people with whom I was working was impressive.

My experience there both reminded me of what is truly important and helped renew my faith in people.  This was an experience that has fundamentally changed me in ways that I can not begin to describe, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met these people and do what I could to ease and aid their recovery. 

The pictures on this page are a chronicle of the people I have met.  Many of the pictures are taken at dinner after my shift had ended at 8 pm, because for the first two weeks I was too busy to take pictures while I was working.  However as things quieted down during my last week, I was able to take more pictures inside the CRC.

Finally, this page is a description of my experience in Monroe La., and the contents of this page do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the American Red Cross, any organization with which the American Red Cross may be affiliated, any officers, directors, or members of any such organization(s), including the American Red Cross, or anyone else at all, other than the author of the material in question.

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We arrived at the staging area in Baton Rouge on September 29, 2005 which was at an old Wal-Mart.  It was bustling with activity and overwhelming at first.  We did not get an assignment our first night, so we had to spend the first day at a staff shelter	Here is a picture of one of the rooms in the staff shelter at the University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.  Each room in the building was this crowded as was the shelter I eventually went to in Monroe.
Breakfast at the Staff Shelter in Baton Rouge.  we had to wait for almost two hours for a ride to the staging area because the ARC was spread so thin.	Dinner at the Cyprus Inn in Monroe. From left to right: Alicia, Adam, Erin (a local volunteer), Lauren, Adam, Rob, Stephanie, me, Jess and Bob.
From left to right: me, Lauren Eldridge and Stephanie in the break room.  Eldridge and I had many intense and wonderful conversations.  He was a great companion.	The staff and residents were treated to some acoustic music.
More music.	Dinner at Boudreaux's.  From left to right: Stephanie, Pete (mostly hidden), Alex, Kevin, Andrew, Roy, Julie, Leigha (the shelter manager for most of my stay) and Victoria.
More from Boudreaux's.  from left to right: Brian, Pete, Alex, Kevin, Andrew and Roy.	Brian and Stephanie being WAY too cute!!!
More from Bourdreaux's.  From left: Victoria, Stephanie, Lauren and Stephanie.  There were way too many volunteer Stephanies in Monroe!!	The Community Residential Center (CRC) in Monroe.  We built a play area for the kids just after I got there.
The "front" of the CRC.  The covered walkway between the trees was the only entrance for the residents.  This entrance was guarded by the National Guard and everyone who entered the building was subject to a metal detector, and all packages were put through an x-ray machine.	Dinner at Bubba Luigi's.  From right to left: (another) Stephanie, Leigha, Erin, Wanda (a local volunteer and the incoming site manager) and Wanda's husband.  This was a going away dinner for Stephanie, Leigha and Diane (the outgoing site manager).
More from Bubba Luigi's.  The people along the end are the same as before and I do not know the names of the people closest to  the camera.	Yet another shot of people at Bubba Luigi's.  From right to left: Erin, Wanda, Wanda's husband, Victoria, Roy, Scott, two people whose names I do not know and our waiter.
More from dinner at Bubba Luigi's.  From left to right: Rob, Adam, Chuq, Cindy, Angela and Jill.	Yes, that is a bed pan from which I am drinking.  This was a mudslide special and I had no idea it would be served this way.  The whole room went quiet when the waiter brought it in, and then broke out in laughter.  Everybody wanted a picture of me drinking, so I  obliged.  It was quite good and they put Butterfingers in the drink to look like turds.  No, I did not finish it.
Fried Cheesecake!!	Group shot after dinner at Bubba Luigi's.  From left to right: Leigha, Erin, Stephanie (being held), Rob, Roy, Chuq, Rob A. Carr, Adam, Scott, Cindy and Victoria.
We helped Jill celebrate her 34th wedding anniversary since her husband was not with her.  Jill was the floor manager the first two weeks I was there and was amazing.  She has a huge heart and lots of energy, very inspiring.	Sorry this is so dark.  This is the ARC security team at the CRC.  From left to right: Diane, Nita, Me, Sharon, and Tom Jones (no, he can't sing).
Dinner at the Warehouse No. 1.  This was a farewell dinner for Jill, Marguerite and Carol.  From left to right: Jill, Marguerite, Gwen, Stephanie, Jim, Diane, Carol and Bill.  The Warehouse was an old warehouse on the Ouachita (pronounced Wah-chih-ta) River that was converted to a restaurant.  Very cool place and great food.	More from the Warehouse.  From left to right: Me, Jill. Marguerite, Gwen, Stephanie, Jim, Diane, Carol and Bill.
Another group shot from the warehouse. Back row from left to right: Stephanie, Jim, Diane, Carol, Jill, Bill, me. Front row from left: Gwen and Marguerite.	Jess and me.  Jess was a cool young lady who worked in the warehouse at the CRC.
Me and sweetheart Rachel.  Rachel was the wonderful voice of the CRC and was invaluable in helping the facility run as smoothly as it could.  She gives amazing hugs!	Me, a little boy waiting for lunch, Stephanie, Veronica (a local volunteer), Carol (another local volunteer) and a third local volunteer whose name I forgot. These were some of the wonderful workers in the inside store where we supplied residents with toiletries, underwear, t-shirts, socks, diapers, baby food, clean bedding and blankets.  These women are the Red Cross.  They all had hearts of gold and went out of their way to make sure our residents had the supplies they needed. I was honored to work with them.
Red Cross volunteer Fannie and the young boy.  Fannie was another amazing volunteer.  She came down with her son and they worked tirelessly doing whatever was needed. We were entertaining this young boy as he waited for lunch which was delayed so New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could meet with some of the New Orleans residents before lunch.  While I had gained a lot of respect for Mayor Nagin right after Katrina hit, I was very disappointed in him this day. After the mayor met with some of the residents he had an impromptu press conference in the staff break room and in response to a question, he said he could identify with what our residents were going through because his home had been damaged and he wasn't living in it either.  This just pissed me off.  had he lost everything? Was he living in a shelter? Was he wondering if he had job to return to? Was he waiting for FEMA to provide him with a trailer so he at least had a place to live?  Of course not.  He had no idea what the residents were going through and to imply he did was very condescending.	Saying good-bye to Jill at the airport in Monroe.
Buses taking 63 residents back to Lake Charles.  This was an emotional moment for all of us.  We were happy for the residents, but sad to see some of the people to whom we had become attached leave.	Karen Rambo, the first and current shelter manager (she took a week off) waves good bye to the buses.  I didn't get a chance to meet Karen when I first got to Monroe, but I did get to know her when she returned.  She was yet another example of the wonderful and dedicated Red Cross volunteers.  She was there when the shelter opened and has committed to staying until the shelter closes, scheduled for October 28.
Karen and Lorraine waive good-bye to the second bus.	The third and final bus for Lake Charles.  Many of these residents were unsure of what they would be returning to.  some had FEMA trailers lined up, some would be staying with friends or relatives and some were going to make arrangements when they arrived in Lake Charles.
Rob watches Kelly with a baby.  This baby was the first child for a young diabetic mother, so we helped her out when the baby got fussy.  She was adorable and we really enjoyed helping out.	Stephanie, Victoria and Julie laughing it up at Stephanie's farewell dinner.
This is my favorite picture.  These three sisters were adorable and so vivacious.  They loved everybody and were always laughing and smiling.  From left to right: Jasmine, Alexis, and Yasmine.  (Jasmine and Yasmine are twins).	Jasmine being cute at lunch.
This is Florentine Parker, the matriarch of the three girls extended family.  Ms. Parker told me that it was going to take 1 - 2 years for the utilities to be hooked back up to their home.  In addition, she said that FEMA had told her that it was her responsibility to find a trailer park for her FEMA trailer, so she was looking for a place to live closer to home in Lake Charles.  My understanding was that FEMA was supposed to set up arrangements with any trailer parks.  The family eventually left for Lafayette, hoping to find a hotel there at which they could stay.  This picture was taken by Jasmine.	Alexis being cute at lunch.  This was also taken by Jasmine.
Alexis took this picture of three young volunteers who were entertaining the girls.	Diane, Angela, Alicia and me. Three more wonderful volunteers who worked hard.
Polishing an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) before going on an ERV run (which I got to do on the Sunday before I left).	Wax on...
... Wax off.	Most of the ERV crew for the Sunday I rode along.  From left to right: Brian, me, Alicia, Polly, Rachel, Angela, Barb, Alex, Pete and Bob.
Joe packing the ERV.  The particular run I went on went to local hotels and motels that were housing evacuees.  We dropped off, lunches, snacks, baby care items, and dinners.  The two other runs that day made similar drops but also went to trailer parks were some people were staying and one went to an animal shelter.	Me and Geraldine.  Gerry was one of the group I came up with to Monroe and she was a courier making runs between Monroe and Baton Rouge.
This is another of my favorite residents, J'Quailyn, or Quay for short.  He always had a huge hug for me or a high five.	Three of my favorite residents.  From left Miss Gina, Miss Hilda and Adam.  Miss Hilda was the head of the Resident Council and was a force to be reckoned with.  She almost always had a smile and a laugh and an amazingly great attitude.
A large group of us by the inside store.  From left to right: Beth, Nina (a volunteer from Sweden) Dwight (a resident), Tony, me, Stephanie, a resident whose name I forget, Veronica (a local volunteer) and right in front Sandra (a resident).  This was taken during my last full day in Monroe.	Beth and I share a mudslide at Bubba Luigi's on my last night in Monroe.  Beth was yet another amazing Red Cross volunteer with a huge heart and dedication.

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Last Revised: October 26, 2005
 © Philip K. Hotchkiss, 2005