Red Cross Volunteer's Determination Provides
Hot Showers for Hurricane Victims

New Roads, LA - “You’ve got 24 hours to get showers.” Those were Shanna Ricker’s marching orders. She was responding to the need at Scott Civic Center, a Red Cross client shelter, where 130 hurricane evacuees had no showers. The dilemma was that most portable showers had been sent to Texas in response to Hurricane Ike.

Shanna, an American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter volunteer, deployed from Washington State was sent to the Gulf Coast to help the victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. She was assigned as a Red Cross volunteer to serve as a labor liaison in the partner services function.

“I love the words - it’s impossible or it can’t be done,” said Shanna. “We just have to refocus. It’s an exciting opportunity to expand your abilities because nothing is impossible.”

Over the next 24 hours, Shanna worked diligently contacting members of AFL-CIO and Neil Miller with Local 198 Plumbers and Pipefitters. Throughout the night, she inspected the condition of the showers to ensure its safety and hot water capability for the comfort of the shelter residents.

While Shanna was not able to meet the 24 hour deadline, she however was able to get 14 showers operating and hot water streaming within 28 hours. It was a successful and cooperative effort thanks to the assistance of many Red Cross partners including Mark Slade at Comfort Zone, Lewis Raines at AFL-CIO, the Southern Baptist Convention and FEMA.   

Written by: Stephanie Carter / American Red Cross

More than 30 local American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter volunteers have been deployed to the Gulf Coast, while over 250 volunteers have been sent by Red Cross chapters from Washington State. Across the United States, Red Cross volunteers have left the comfort of their homes and their families behind to help their neighbors devastated by the storms.

How You Can Help
You can help people affected by thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Hurricanes of 2008, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. We use this fund to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disasters who need our help. Donors can go online to
Donate Now! or contact 1-800-REDCROSS.

If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, you should call 1-800-REDCROSS. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, and money to do its work.