Mental Health Awareness Month – ‘Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World’

By Samantha Munro

Mental Health America graphic – May is Mental Health Month. Want to improve your mental health but don’t know where to start? Get information and resources at MHANATIONAL.ORG/MAY

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month theme, “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World,” is very fitting in today’s society. When you think you may have a basic understanding and things “seem” to be going well, we are hit with more truths whether it be about ourselves or the world at large.

During this time period, we reset ourselves in a way to tackle all of the information coming our way — filtering the noise and narrowing down on “What can I do about this situation and how can it help me and those to come?”.

As we focus on mental health, it is important to know that it is an ongoing journey to strengthen the mind, to embrace the good and not to let the bad knock us down. Though we may feel like we are falling, the understanding of how your mind works, your fears, weakness and strengths can help you get the help you need that caters to your mind’s improvement.

Mental health awareness is something that everyone should keep in mind of because we will all need it at one point or another, whether dealing with unfair treatment at the workplace, discord between family or friends, or frustration at the ongoing injustices in our world.

To tie this into the American Red Cross, when it comes to disasters, people may feel grief or anger over the damage or loss, fear or hopelessness when thinking about rebuilding their lives, and not knowing where or how to begin.

This is why the Red Cross offers Disaster Mental Health Team provides support by licensed professionals who volunteer their time and talent when disaster strikes. It is crucial for people to know that there is help available to them after experiencing a disaster. Knowing that you are not alone, that there are people who are available to assist you with getting your life back on track one day at a time can give you hope and a peace of mind!

In the end, no matter where you are on this journey, call life, always know where to go and who to turn to whenever you feel lost. You can start with the resources provided below. Also, if you feel as though you can be that resource in someone else’s life and you have the credentials, please consider becoming a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer.

Mental Health Resources:

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities
• National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Mental Health America
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Check Your Stress: April is National Stress Awareness Month

By Samantha Munro

Red Cross graphic – Find a small way every day to cope with stress.

April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize severity of health-related issues.

The origins of National Stress Awareness Month can be traced back to 1992 when the Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization, launched a campaign to encourage people to learn about the effects of stress and to provide information on how to manage it.

As a humanitarian organization, The American Red Cross responds to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year. Even when the immediate danger has. People may feel grief or anger over the damage or loss, fear or hopelessness when thinking about rebuilding their lives, and not knowing where or how to begin.

The Red Cross offers Disaster Mental Health services provided by licensed professionals who volunteer their time and talent when disaster strikes. It is crucial for people to know that there is help available to them after experiencing a disaster. Knowing that you are not alone, that there are people who are available to assist you with getting your life back on track one day at a time.

Keeping a balanced life and limiting the amount of stress is very important. Here are some resources that can be of great benefit to anyone seeking additional information:

• The Mental Health American (MHA) provides some tips on how to reduce your stress by utilizing a Stress Screener.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website offers strategies for stress management
• The National Institutes of Health offers several resources that can assist managers and employees in dealing with stress and anxiety.

‘Movember’ shines a light on men’s mental health

By Haley Heisley

Movember graphic: The Iconic Mo

“Movember” is a a new term I was taught, but definitely not a new concept. 

 Mental Health is huge in today’s generation, and I wish more attention was brought to it sooner! Mental health is affected by so much, including an individual’s career, community, trauma, health, education, family role, income, and environment to name a few. We all know the importance of mental health, but “Movember” focuses on the sometimes-overlooked mental health of men.

Many men hold the idea in mind that they should not show emotion, they should “toughen up,” and to shed a tear would make them too vulnerable. However, the stigma should be destroyed because to repress such feelings only makes them build up, which is more detrimental in the long run. To break this stigma, it is important to approach it from not only an emotional aspect, but also a biological one. When something is proven through the chemistry of our bodies, it may make us feel better to know there isn’t “something wrong with us,” but actually a normal biological process occurrence. Low levels of testosterone are correlated with depression, stress and mood swings in men. 

 When looking at statistics, in the United States, over 6 million men suffer from depression each year even though it often goes undiagnosed. On top of that, 3,020,000 men have a panic disorder, agoraphobia, or any other phobias. When taking a look at eating disorders, an estimated 10% of males experience anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35% have a binge-eating disorder. When taking a look at suicide rates, often proceeded by depression, the highest rates in the United States are found in Caucasian men over the age of 85 years old and more than 4 times as many men as women die by suicide. All of this stands proven, including how men are less likely to have received mental health treatment than woman in the past year.

 The Movember movement is important in order to raise awareness to this silent crisis and help men let go of the thoughts that with a mental illness they would be treated differently, not taken seriously, or labeled by their illness. It also provides everyone with the resources they can utilize if they feel as if their mental health needs attention. The sooner one begins treatment, the more effective it is. To get the treatment you need and push aside any fears is the most powerful way each individual can help break this stigma, and show the world they are strong to speak up. 

Men’s Mental Health Resources

• Movember.com
• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
• Crisis Text Line: 741741
• Mayo Clinic
• National Institute of Mental Health
• Mental Health America

Take time for yourself on International Self-Care Day (July 24)

By Haley Heisley

Red Cross graphic – Self-Care Check-in: Ideas for staying busy, healthy and connected.

Beyond massages and bubble baths, face masks and painting your nails – self care is not just a day at the spa, but so much more that goes into practicing self care physically and mentally. Learning that International Self-Care Day was coming up this July 24, I was so excited to look into it even more. I always look forward to finding the best skin care products, taking a hot shower after the long work week, and wearing a new set of pajamas bundled up in clean bedding while listening to meditation music so this topic is very important to me.

Lately, mental health has been stressed more than ever before and I am an advocate for it myself. You cannot show up 200% in every aspect of life if your physical and mental health is not at 100%. To focus, think clearly, perform your greatest, and stabilize your mood you need to remember to take care of yourself. 

Listed below are many ways we can practice self care easily that I have incorporated into my daily routine.

Aromatherapy
Essential oil scents are proven to boost your mood, reduce stress, improve job performance, improve sleep, kill bacteria, and even reduce anxiety and pain. My go-to essential oils to put into my aroma diffuser is lavender oil to help stress, pain, and sleep, peppermint oil to help with digestion, fatigue, and headaches, and lemon oil to help with nausea, anxiety, and cognitive function.

Physical Activity & Exercise
Exercise improves mood by reducing stress, and alleviating symptoms one experiences of anxiety and depression. Physical activity nonetheless manages your weight, strengthens your muscles, and reduces risk of disease.

Writing
The mental exercise of writing helps wellness of the individual in many aspects including making you feel accomplished, recovering memories, and getting you to think about your perspective on life which aids in self care and also self growth. Writing also helps your communication, reduces stress, and better thought clarification. 

Diet
A healthy diet is not only good for your physical health, but also for your mental health as well. Both your physical and mental health tie into self-care, which makes your diet a very vital part of taking care of ourselves. Some foods I have discovered through my University’s Nutrition Course I took that I have incorporated into my diet lately are:

• Lean proteins (soybeans, nuts, seeds, chicken, meat): energy for cognitive abilities and reactions.
• Fatty acids (fish, meat, flaxseeds, nuts): brain function and nervous system benefits.
• Berries are rich in antioxidants and are a crucial helper with our mental health.
• Leafy Greens are high in folic acid which can help manage depression and fatigue.

Meditation
By playing meditation sounds in the background, deep breathing in efforts to clear your mind before bed, or even playing guided meditations on youtube – meditation can be done easily in so many ways. The benefits of meditation is it is a stress reducer, helps to control anxiety, promotes attention span, can help in fighting addictions, and it promotes emotional health.

Red Cross graphic – Find time to unwind.

Other ideas of practicing self care that I have tried are:

• Coloring in adult coloring books.
• Listening to my favorite songs.
• Taking walks in nature.
• Reading books and magazines.
• Using workbooks that prompt writing exercises/deep thinking.
• Drinking PLENTY of water.
• Sitting in the sunlight and get time outside each day.

No matter what self-care exercises you decide to perform today whether if it is on my list or not, I encourage you all to partake in at least one per day to find out what works best for you. Some of these felt so useless in my mind, until I actually gave them a try and ended up loving each and every one. In a world with tons of hustle and bustle and stress, self care is a vital practice to incorporate into our schedules no matter how busy we may be all it takes is to even wake up simply 5 minutes earlier in the morning to even deep breathe and meditate. 

Let’s talk about PTSD awareness

By Azba Shaikh

National Center for PTSD graphic – June is PTSD Awareness Month: http://www.ptsd.va.gov

How many people in your family are veterans? Have they ever discussed with you the events they once witnessed in their life during their recruits?

June is National PTSD Awareness Month, and June 27, specifically, is National PTSD Awareness Day! Let me tell you a little bit more about how it originated.

With tribute to Staff Sergeant Joe Biel who died committing suicide in Iraq in 2007 after suffering from PTSD, a man named Senator Kent Conrad pushed to get official recognition of PTSD via a “day of awareness” in 2010. Sergeant Biel’s birthday, June 27, was selected as PTSD Awareness Day which is now observed every year.

PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder – is a mental health disorder following a traumatic event such as rape or physical assault which results in thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks in response to triggers. People suffering from this tend to try to avoid reminders as it causes them to become hypervigilant, have sleeping problems and can further lead to social dysfunction.

The diagnosis is usually made based on a history of exposure to traumatic event, feeling of the trauma being persistently re-experienced, having negative thoughts or feelings which last for more than one month. Such patients require to have cognitive behavioral therapy and to take medications.

Unfortunately, earlier on combat shock, alone, was thought to be PTSD. “Vietnam flashbacks” or other issues in entertainment featured antagonists suffering from it. It was destigmatized after 1980 when it was recognized as a specific condition with identifiable symptoms and as a result, since that time, PTSD is listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

If one of your loved ones suffer from this, do not think twice. Encourage them and get them the help they need. To learn more, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD online. There, you can take a PTSD Self Screen and subscribe to the PTSD Monthly Update.

Front lines of mental health work in the aftermath of Boston Bombings

Below is a compilation of text messages from American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania mental health volunteer Danelle Stoppel about her recent experience helping people in Boston cope with the recent bombing there. (It starts with the most RECENT. Scroll down to see earlier ones.)

Danelle Stoppel, here with Dave Warren, a Red Cross disaster mental health volunteer from Rochester, NY, review the cases they’ve handled while working in Boston after the Boston Marathon bombings

The evening of day 2, DHM (Disaster Mental Health) workers were asked to attend the vigil for Sean Collier, the MIT police officer killed on MIT’s campus last week.  His hometown put this event together in eight hours to honor him.  As a Red Cross worker I am becoming very familiar with vigils and memorials for fallen police and firefighters. on national disaster responses (DRs) and in Philadelphia.  I feel comfortable attending these events since while, we are not first responders, we work in cooperation with them everyday.

The short life of this police officer was remarkable.  Sean’s mentor spoke of his desire to be a city police officer. Several days before his death, Sean was offered a local position and he was to start on June 3rd.  The American Red Cross was here as a presence to witness his life.

Over the past two days, I have been working directly with families of the victims.  Coordinated services to them are being delivered in an undisclosed location to ensure their privacy. This closely guarded environment affords these families the opportunity to register for a variety services being offered to them locally and nationally.  The American Red Cross is one of those services.

While I can never know what our services accomplishes I do know what I gain from this experience.  I have been able to directly connect with several families over the past three days as they attempt to recover.  I have quickly become “Deedee,” my nickname, and that put them in my family/friends circle.  That happens so quickly on a disaster response like this one.  It reduces all of us to a pure human being without the barriers of class, race, language and religion. While it is very difficult to hear details of their loved ones injuries and prognosis, I am honored that I can be of service to them.  Our work with the American Red Cross is essential, needed and appreciated

– Danelle Stoppel, April 24, 2013

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Last Friday (April 19) I was deployed to Boston as a disaster mental health worker.  We entered Boston shortly after the city wide lockdown was lifted.  A city wide lockdown is a very new experience to disaster relief.  No one including Red Cross disaster workers could leave their homes, hotels, etc…On day two, the city returned to new normal with the presence of military personnel in military transport vehicles on every corner of the downtown area.

Police personnel from many states as well as FBI, Homeland Security, and National Guard were everywhere.  It was a very different feeling than my typical disaster responses.  Whole areas of Boston were shut down because they were FBI crime scenes.  Whole blocks were evacuated and residents could not return home.

A Memorial developed on blocks close to the marathon site and on MIT’s campus.  The local volunteers from the Boston chapter of the American Red Cross was very Involved in the mental health response as well.  It was wonderful to be paired with a local person as we worked on outreach activities.  On this response, everyone has been impacted.  This is so different from our usual experience in the Red Cross.  No one in this area is untouched.

On day two I was assigned to work with Boston marathon volunteers who are gathering to work through their experience. While the event was scheduled for three hours we stayed for six.  Their overwhelming feelings filled the room and it was difficult to remain dry eyed.  These people volunteered for this event for years and have always had a feeling of great joy working this event.  Medical volunteers who came to help runners with injuries, dehydration and exhaustion found themselves in trauma/triage mode.  While their training pulled them through to accomplish the task, their emotions were atypical and the joy of their yearly event turned into overwhelming sadness.

– Danelle Stoppel, April 23, 2013

Danelle, pictured here in July 2012 while on deployment in Colorado, providing mental health services to a man who’s home was destroyed by a wildfire.

Sandy deployment: A Red Cross mental health volunteer’s diary

American Red Cross Disaster Action Team Leader and Disaster Mental Health Specialist Danelle Stoppel is always on the short list of those to be sent to assist with national Red Cross responses. She’s referred to around our chapter as “Deployment Danelle.” She recently deployed to New York to assist with the Sandy response by providing essential mental health services to folks dealing with the aftermath of the superstorm.

Below is a compilation of messages and photos Danelle texted to our Director of Communications. It will be updated periodically until her return.

November 16

Arrived at Manhattan (Greater New York) Chapter Headquarters. It was wonderful to meet up with people I have worked with on other DRs (Disaster Responses). I have been assigned to the borough of Queens which includes several hard-hit areas. I will be meeting with my team tonight and tomorrow we have been assigned to the bulk distribution sites throughout our area. The atmosphere at Headquarters was upbeat, but for those who have been here for several weeks report they are exhausted and due to very low drives to and from work sites and desperate conditions in the hard hit areas.

June from Far Rockaway. she lost everything in her home to Sandy. All she really needs is a good pair of boots. Strong woman from Jamaica who made her home here 22 years ago. she loved to work with the elderly and is truly inspirational.

Bulk distribution teams are now going door to door delivering clean up kits in Far Rockaway. We are working in teams with nurses as 1475 start coming in.

Spontaneous volunteers with car loads of clothes, etc. helping anyone in need in Far Rockaway.

Door to door clean up kits are being delivered to Rockaway residents. I am now working with bulk distribution on a team with nurses and mental health specialists.

I can’t talk about individual people, but it is very sad. People look like they have been in a war zone. I love being on the ground with real people. I miss everyon.

SEPA Volunteers Anthony and Ben with our ERV which have been serving meals and distributing items to those affected by Sandy in NY.

Tomorrow, I return to the same distribution site. Due to the lack of housing options, we are staying in Manhattan, only 20 miles from the worst natural disaster to hit New York. Being downtown close to Times Square, it’s hard to imagine that such widespread disaster exists. the leadership in NYC has made it easier for the Red Cross to function. Our vehicles do not pay tolls and there is a facility where we can fill up our vehicles for no cost. Our hotel is parking our vehicles at no cost. The amount of people focused on this disaster is evident in all areas of the city. The respect for the American Red Cross is evident when you speak with people and so many people have gone out of their way to thank me.

November 17

Saw Clifton (SEPA COO) this morning. He looked well rested and was attempting to control the crowd of people trying to out-process (leave the job). 

I am working with a young man from Kentucky. He was emailed a newsletter from the American Association of marriage and family therapists asking for volunteers to work with the Red Cross. He applied and was quickly approved and arrived in New York City four days later. Talk about fast-tracked and bringing good people into the Red Cross…

November 18

Today, I partnered with an international agency called Heart to Heart and delivered mental health services to their clients. Many did not speak English and I interpreted for them. This part of Queens is home to many nationalities and cultures. Many families from Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico sought medical advice due to lack of electricity which destroyed their daily supply of insulin. I heard a very comment that no one could believe this could happen in New York. Many people stayed in their homes until the water reached their porch. Perhaps the most distressing aspect is the impact of Sandy on senior citizens here and in New Jersey. Losing their homes and all their belongings has impacted them physically, economically and emotionally.

November 23

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, but not in Coney Island.  Some areas have no stores open.  The people depend heavily on the Red Cross for one meal a day.  There are many people of Russian descent who do not speak English.

November 25

Each day is a challenge and yesterday and today were more profoundly so. We were called to a high rise apartment in Brooklyn.  There, we met with a mother of a 47 year old gentleman who has been severely disabled since nine years old and is wheelchair bound.  He no longer has the use of his

legs and his left hand. Despite his physical limitations, he works as a lawyer in Manhattan.  He lives on the fourth floor, and when the storm hit he was unable to leave his bed due to the loss of electricity.  He was eventually hospitalized five days later due to hypothermia.  He has returned home, but cannot function due to the loss of his van, which was lost to salt water erosion.

November 26

Today’s challenge was thirty senior citizens who lived on Coney Island.  We evacuated them to a shelter in Brooklyn miles away

from their small neighborhood.  They are seniors who are living independently with staff who assist them to remain independent.  They are now living in a shelter in another building.  They have no hot meals since they normally cook for themselves. While they are being assisted by personnel they know, they are crowded together in a strange part of New York where they know no one.  We will be returning to assist them with the ongoing stress associated with the loss of their privacy and their community on Coney Island.

Stoppel with Lauren Watson and Noel Green

November 27

Hey, look who I ran into at 7:30…SEPA is in the house.

November 28

Noel and his team. Two days on this disaster response and Noel has again become the GO TO MAN.  Philly is making a difference…..lending our best to Manhattan.

Noel and his Team

Danelle and her team out to dinner

November 29

Finally we are together to share a meal…

November 30

Bryan showed up at our outreach in site in Broad Channel. Great seeing Bryan!

For the past several days, I have been on an outreach team.  We are returning to places we know very well. This time we are armed with supplies, water, food, clothing, batteries, cleaning kits and winter coats.  Disaster victims needs are endless and after one month, they are tired, cold,frustrated and desperate. People living on the outer islands are now experiencing very cold weather. This team concept is an effort to find people whose needs have notbeen met.  Often, these people have lost everything.  Housing shortage appears to be the greatest need.  People from Coney Island are now living in hotels in Manhattan.  

Parents are driving their children back to Coney Island,  Rockaway and Far Rockaway daily to attend their neighborhood school, which is open.  Hotels cannot handle all of these people since the holiday season is coming.  

Danelle with client

December 4

Today is the last day I will be on a team visiting families who lost a loved one in Hurricane Sandy. I have had a great deal of experience in the last year on these teams. I am always humbled to meet families and hear their stories. It requires one to hold back on emotions in order to get the job done.

When we give the family the donation from the Red Cross we say, “This is from the American people.” This is why I volunteer for the American Red Cross.

I will be back in Philly tomorrow and my Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross family will surround me and I will be grateful that I represented them here in New York.

Love and Peace to All

— Danelle Stoppel

Diary of a Dedicated Disaster Relief Volunteer — Part 2

Danelle Stoppel, a Red Cross volunteer with the SEPA chapter, is very experienced with the transition from volunteering at the local level to the national level and understands the ongoing problems that come with traveling through areas devastated by fire. This blog was compiled from a series of text messages sent by Danelle from her recent posting in Colorado Springs.

(Below are the second set of compiled texts. To see the first set,  click here.

____________________________________________________________________

July 4^th, 2012 – Colorado Springs

Our ERV came upon people who requested our help.  In an area with no reported losses, an elderly couple entered their home to find it completely destroyed by fire and now water damage from the rains.  We helped them with valuables and medicine.  The roof was leaking and the Sheetrock was falling.  We helped them grab what they wanted to save, including an antique painting from Poland, and left the house.  The mayor’s wife and a community leader who is also a roofer mobilized his crew to cover the house since we are now under a flood watch.  Thank God for my Disaster Action Team training on difficult responses, which trained me to look up first and think safety.  My boots did the job again. Please people, no sneakers on DAT! Motto for the day: Red Cross boots on the ground!

Yesterday the new manager arrived. Her name is Janet and she is from Florida.  I quickly briefed her of the events and activities of the past eight days. She arrived with a supervisor named Sharon, also from Florida.  They have worked together on other disaster responses. Janet and Sharon set up their operation and I stepped aside so they could assume command.  My crew of great young people including Karin, Lisa, Michael, Luanna, Walt, Don, Carol, and Ruth are now part of a larger group of thirty people. I will see them tonight at a local party sponsored by Colorado Springs to honor the American Red Cross.

Danelle’s “Psych Six Team”

I am currently riding on an ERV to deliver services to residents who are seeing their homes for the first time. I leave tomorrow for home and I know my chapter is busy with a large fire and the aftermath of strong storms.  I promised American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter pins to many people since it is considered a real find.  Hopefully, my energetic approach to delivering mental health services has been effective during the first phase of this disaster response. Mental health was the first service to arrive in Colorado Springs. See you soon.

Ciao,

Danelle

Happy 4th of July from Colorado Springs! Kids selling lemonade to raise money for Red Cross

Diary of a Dedicated Disaster Relief Volunteer

Danelle Stoppel, a Red Cross volunteer with the SEPA chapter is very experienced with the transition from volunteering at the local level to the national level and understands the ongoing problems that come with traveling through areas devastated by fire. This post was compiled from a series of text messages sent by Danelle.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

All that is left of a neighborhood in Colorado Springs after the Waldo Canyon Fire. Photo by: Danelle Stoppel

June 29, 2012

Things are moving quickly from local to national.  Fire conditions continue with frequent small fires.  Last night, there was a large meeting at a local college where 345 families were told their houses were destroyed.  Tomorrow families will be bused to their homes, but they cannot get out since fires are still burning.  Disaster recovery centers will open.  I have staffed four shelters and am coordinating local efforts as they interface with national.

June 30, 2012

FEMA has arrived, but families cannot see their houses until Sunday now.  Mental health is now ten strong and includes local chapter members.  I am working with wonderful mental health people from across the country.  I will be housed at headquarters now and have been invited to participate in the strategic plan for this site.  I am working with old friends from deployments in Alabama and Pennsylvania and making new connections everyday.  There is lots of national exposure for mental health due to massive loss. Headquarters is opening away from chapter tomorrow and client case management is starting.

Volunteers in Colorado meet to learn their daily assignments                                            Photo by Danelle Stoppel

July 1, 2012

Today, the Colorado Springs recovery center opened and the American Red Cross provided services in the form of medical, client case management and mental health services.  Many people have lost their homes and their jobs.  One man told me he lost his job when a horse stable burned.  He lived in the canyon and never owned a car.  He needs money for transportation to find a new job.  Many renters have lost everything.  Five shelters are still open but evacuees return home tomorrow and do not know what they will find.  The threat of fire continues due to high temperatures and winds and many bears have moved closer to resort towns to escape the fire. The tap water smells like smoke.

SEPA Volunteer Danelle Stoppel with Colorado Springs ERV driver preparing to visit fire damaged areas

The Salvation Army is providing all food for the shelters. The ERVs arrived today; client case managers and nurses are now relieving local American Red Cross nurses.   I currently supervise 11 mental health personnel and our role will increase to client work and other areas when we are asked to become involved.  Volunteers are working 13 hours a day and we eat dinner together each night. I miss everyone at our Southeastern, PA chapter, but I am proud to represent the Philadelphia area.

POST SCRIPT:
Danelle’s texts only give a tiny glimpse into what happens during a major Red Cross relief operation. She and hundreds of other volunteers (including two from SEPA) were called in by our national headquarters to assist local Red Cross volunteers. Danelle’s deployment could last up to 21 days.

SEPA chapter trained Danelle to handle the work she is doing. We are proud of how capable and dedicated our volunteers are. They make it possible for the Red Cross to do what it does.

-Compiled by Lana Pizzo-