Saturday, December 13, 2008

Proud First Supporter

Of all of the work that I've done in my life, none has been more rewarding than being a First Supporter. I am not a First Responder; those are fire fighters, police officers and EMTs. I am a volunteer with the American Red Cross Emergency Services, and we respond to local and national disasters. We fulfill the immediate emergency needs for our clients who may have experienced a house fire or flood. The American Red Cross impartially provides money for shelter, food, and clothing and shoes to the affected families, regardless of race, creed or political beliefs. We are at the scene, standing in the water running off the still burning house, providing comfort and services to those in need. Behind the scenes, computers are used for a myriad of purposes, including: to input client cases, activate the client assistance debit cards, and document the use of donated monies. Without reliable computers, the whole modern support system would fail, and clients would not receive the services that they so desperately need. If I were to win the HP computers, printers and other acessories, I would use one for my work as a coordinator of the Disaster Action Teams, and I would donate other equipment to the Asheville-Mountain Chapter's Emergency Services Department to support our life recovering work.