Practice Makes Perfect

On Saturday, January 15, an emergency shelther was opened at Evangel Heights United Methodist Church on Ironwood in South Bend. FBCI volunteers from Evangel Heights and a few other churches, in partnership with the American Red Cross, set up cots, manned registration tables and welcomed nearly 40 residents who had been displaced by a devestating apartment fire. The shelter volunteers faced a number of challenges as they helped the distraught residents cope with the situation. One resident was blind, another spoke no English, another was sick, some spread false rumors about the cause of the fire, and tensions ran high as residents were overcome with the emotions of losing everything they owned.

Luckily, this was just a drill. There wasn't really a fire, and the "residents" of the shelter were in fact Red Cross volunteers playing assigned roles. They were having a lot of fun playing their parts and trying to stump the FBCI volunteers with each new, seemingly more difficult scenario. With only a few bumps along the way, the church members, with the support of the Red Cross shelther manager found ways to successfully handle each situation.

When the drill ended, "residents" and shelter volunteers alike gathered for pizza and discussed the mock disaster. By analyzing mistakes as well as recounting what worked well, these volunteers will be better prepared to serve their clients should they ever have to open a real shelter. In many ways, the number of difficult scenarios introduced at the mock disaster are highly unlikely to all occur at the same shelter at the same time in real life, so the volunteers should feel confident and well prepared after their practice run.

These FBCI partners are crucial for the American Red Cross to fulfill its mission in St. Joseph County and beyond. Thanks to all the church volunteers as well as Red Cross volunteers who came out early on a Saturday morning. We couldn't do it without you!