Volunteers swing into action when a hurricane hits

When devastation strikes in the form of a hurricane, there are several organizations people can count on. Selected school buildings turn into emergency shelters operated by Red Cross volunteers, the Salvation Army's traveling canteen is parked at crucial locations and the N.C. Baptist Men Disaster Relief are not far behind.

The Salvation Army in various counties has a limited number of canteens but can call on others from its southeastern region. A 3½ feet wide by 14 feet long canteen carrying five people serves Craven and Pamlico counties. During serving conditions two people stay inside.

"It gets crowded and could be unsafe otherwise," said Christian Crousore, volunteer coordinator for the Salvation Army. Crousore said the canteen is stocked with enough food to serve 200 meals three times a day for a 72-hour period.

"With the canned goods we could stay in operation for five days," he said.

He remembers when the local Salvation Army canteen was called to Florida after Hurricane Isabelle in 2003 - they fed 1,800 people a day.

"We are providing not just a meal, but a big part of us. We are a shoulder for them to cry on. The people have lost everything. They have lost everything they have. It gets stressful, but there is so much to do," Crousore said.

Crousore said safety is the first priority when going out and setting up.

"We want our personnel and equipment to be safe," Crousore said. "But we want to go where we are needed," he said.

Richard Brunson, executive director of the Cary-based Baptist Men Disaster Relief organization, said training begins in the spring for various tasks that volunteers perform. Brunson said 10,000 people are trained to go in with food, child care, laundry or chain saws, before and after a disaster strikes.

"We have about as many women as men volunteering," Brunson said.

The first time the relief agency went into action was 1984, when tornados hit Maxton and Red Springs.

He said food service is the first priority during or after a hurricane.

"The first thing that comes is food," Brunson said. "That is the immediate need. We work with the Salvation Army or Red Cross or on our own to provide meals. Those agencies often provide the food and we cook and serve it. We can feed up to 30,000 people a day with our large unit. We have two smaller units that can each prepare and serve 20,000 meals a day."

While serving food is the first priority, services such as laundry and showers are set up.

After a few days the relief agency goes into the assessment and recovery mode.

"When people come through the lines during food distribution, we hear of the devastation and needs in the community," Brunson said. "That's when the recovery work comes in and our trained volunteers pull out their chain saws. Debris is moved, mud is removed and we tear out damaged homes and the long-term rebuilding teams are sent in."

When Katrina hit, hundreds of volunteers traveled to Gulfport, La. and rebuilt 716 homes, Brunson said.

"We are there for all of the stages of the disaster," he said.

He said volunteers use their vacation time and pay their own way to areas where their service is needed.

When a disaster strikes, churches throughout the state ask for special donations. Brunson said the volunteers come from outside as well as inside the Baptist Church.

"Their faith and the desire to help and being motivated by love send the volunteers out," Brunson said.

To learn more about the N.C. Baptist Men Disaster Relief, go to www.ncmissions.org.