Volunteering with the Red Cross for Flood Victims

Waiting for a new truck to load with supplies

 Today I went with two friends from Chula…to volunteer at the Red Cross.  The political disagreements over what should be done regarding the flood inundated northern-regions versus the anticipation of Bangkok underwater, have not progressed, and, as a result, NGOs are quick to react and come to action to help those in the North!  The Red Cross is just one of many organizations that have begun to ask for donations, organize containers, and plan for air-drops and truck shipments.

We had no instructions or volunteer forms – we just showed up.  We didn’t speak the language, and that didn’t matter.  People were happy we were there to help, and showed us what we could do.  We loaded truck after truck of supplies.  We stacked boxes upon boxes of water.  And we hauled potato sacks of canned goods.  One of the most interesting assignments of the day: was that we separated the pork packaged noodles (similar to a Cup-O-Noodle item) from the other shrimp and chicken ones – because one particular container was going to a Muslim village, and they cannot eat pork…

After passing over 100 boxes down the assembly line, we were successful!

 

This was an incredibly memorable experience I will never forget.  The most moving part of the entire experience, were the people volunteering.  They were from all ages and backgrounds and came from all areas of the city – one woman had her KFC uniform on and explained she was here on her lunch break, another man was in a suit and tie carrying life boats who said he didn’t feel right working when he knew people were suffering up North…and there were a TON of high school boys who were on their spring break and showed up, each and every morning, to help.  I stood between these people in an assembly line, and we together packaged, stacked and loaded trucks that soon-after departed for the North.  It was very moving to see people from all walks of life crowded around the same truck, helping for the same cause.

Loading life boats into the trucks...