Hurricane Shelters on the Move

Rebecca's Story as a Shelter Manager During Hurricane Harvey

Written by: Rosalind SE Carney, volunteer

In 2004, Rebecca Callahan was asked by a friend to help develop a database for the American Red Cross. Little did she know that she would soon put her background in public communications into regular use for the organization. Since 2004, Rebecca has served as a national and regional media spokesperson for the Red Cross in English, French, and Spanish. Rebecca also trained as a Red Cross Shelter Manager.

Rebecca recently traveled to Louisiana to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts at a time when people were starting to evacuate Houston. She went to DeQuincy, LA, where the Mayor permitted the use of a recreation center as an emergency shelter. Rebecca and other Red Cross volunteers accommodated 20 evacuees, providing cots to sleep in, comfort kits, and meals. The next day, the rising flood plains meant that the DeQuincy shelter was itself at risk for flooding. The shelter was closed, and the displaced residents were transported to the next shelter in Lake Charles, LA.

As more people were evacuating their homes in Texas and moving eastward, the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles accommodated over 300 people on the night it opened as a shelter. However, after reaching the maximal occupancy of 342 people, it soon became clear that an even larger shelter was needed. The Coliseum shelter residents were transported to a mega-shelter in Alexandria, LA. Red Cross representatives and local volunteers converted the Coliseum into a distribution center to help more evacuees who arrived to pick up comfort kits, blankets, meals, and water on their way to the Alexandria mega-shelter.

In total, Rebecca spent 12 days assisting hurricane evacuees on this deployment. When she was not serving as a Shelter Manager, she spent much of her time interacting with shelter residents. During such stressful situations, Rebecca has particular concern for young children who can become very traumatized. Children at this age, she says, “know just enough to not know enough” and she recognizes their feelings of lack of control and helplessness. Rebecca comforts children by informing them what will happen next and assuring them that the immediate needs of their family will be taken care of. She observes that once children are given such reassurance, they become more calm and resilient and often take on an adult-like role to support their parents.

As Rebecca’s recent experience involved several transient shelters, it was important to keep members of each family together at all times. When an elderly member of one evacuated family was hospitalized, Rebecca ensured that they were not moved on until the whole family was reunited. Rebecca also assisted people who came to the shelters to locate family members.

Rebecca took the Shelter Management Course at the Red Cross because she realized how often shelters are needed. Recently in 2016, she provided assistance to families displaced by a large gas explosion in Silver Spring, MD. 

Originally, Rebecca wanted to be a nurse. She finds that being a Red Cross volunteer enables her to provide empathy to others, without being in the healthcare field itself. Of her time as a volunteer, she says, “All it takes is one experience–such as the interaction with young children affected by Hurricane Harvey–to serve the “addiction” and keep you coming back.”

Learn more about Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief.