Red Cross mission endures
Mon, Mar 17, 2008
By ANNA FERGUSONThe Brunswick NewsHer very first call was the one she will never forget. Having worked at the American Red Cross only a few months, Jamie Kendall picked up the phone and suddenly became responsible for relaying a message to a soldier in Iraq. His father had died, and he needed to come home. It was a tremendous obligation, but the situation was too dire for doubt. She knew she had to follow through. Following the verification steps she had been trained to take and contacting the proper outlets, Kendall was able to get word to the young man and expected that to be the end of the case. A few days later, a soldier in uniform walked through her door with tears in his eyes. "He said, 'Thank you for getting me home in time for my father's funeral,'" said Kendall, now the executive director of the Southeastern Coastal Division of the American Red Cross in Brunswick."It was such a horrific time for his family, and we were able to relieve some of that stress. I had just been doing my job, but it meant the world to him."Relaying emergency messages between military personal and their families is what the Red Cross was initially founded to do more than 150 years ago. Today, the organization is mandated by the U.S. Congress to carry out this specific duty.It's not a task it takes lightly, and it's not a service the general public is aware even exists, said Kendall. "We're at war, and there are brave men and women out there fighting," she said. "Anything we can do to ease their burdens is worthwhile. It's a big responsibility, and it's an awesome one."Rita Brookshire also believes in doing her part. With two sons serving in the U.S. military, Brookshire was not content to sit idly at home. "I can't hold a gun, but I can do something," said Brookshire. As emergency services director for the Southeastern Coastal Georgia chapter of the American Red Cross, Brookshire is an invisible force field, connecting families and relaying messages to soldiers worldwide. Even at 4 a.m. "We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said. "People don't even have to think about it. The Red Cross is just always there." Along with area volunteers, Brookshire assists families in sending emergency messages. On average, Brookshire and her team of correspondents assist two to three families a day. This year alone, the local Red Cross chapter is predicting the team will make connections for about 220 families.Sometimes, the news is happy, like birth and engagement announcements. But then, there are the sad times, when Brookshire has to send word of illness or death. "I carry all these stories in my heart," she said. "You never forget these people."The volunteer staff is on call every day from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., with Brookshire and Red Cross staff manning phone during working hours and whenever else it's needed. Waking up at 2 a.m. to call a funeral home and verify a death, then dialing the national Red Cross database headquarters for information, is, alas, not a rarity, Brookshire says. Not that Brookshire is complaining. "There is no paycheck big enough that could be as fulfilling," she said. "We are there for people in their darkest hours. "This is the most rewarding job I have ever had. I think this would be the most rewarding job anyone could ever have."Currently, the message team in Brunswick has five volunteers, though Brookshire said at least twice that number is needed to field the phone traffic.Training to become a volunteer takes no time at all, Kendall says. "This is something you can do from your home," said Brookshire. "If you have a warm and gentle heart and want to do your part for your country, this is an easy way to reach out."
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