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| Kristin Manuel |
“I just can’t believe this,” a tornado victim in southeast
Tennessee recently said to Kristin Manuel, when Kristin called to make sure she
had access to everything to meet her immediate needs.
Kristin asked if she was okay. In tears, the lady said, “No,
you don’t understand. I lost everything, but the Red Cross has put me up
somewhere where I am safe. The Red Cross is feeding me. And now, you’re just
calling to check on me. You know we may have lost everything, but it is so nice
to know that we’re actually not alone.”
Kristin Manuel serves as the disaster program manager for
the East Tennessee Red Cross, but after the powerful tornadoes that struck southeast
Tennessee, she has served as the call center coordinator. She and her call
center team respond to incoming calls to the Red Cross and make sure people who
called in are followed up with. She estimates since the call center opened the day
after the tornadoes, her team has responded to nearly 500 calls.
The Red Cross’s response to disasters looks different during
the COVID-19 pandemic, but even those working virtually make a powerful impact
on those who were affected by the recent tornadoes.
American Red Cross disaster workers have been responding
with boots on the ground and virtually to provide comfort and support,
including temporary emergency lodging, food, emergency relief supplies,
emotional support, health services and recovery assistance to people impacted
by the Sunday, April 12 tornadoes.
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