…And Then She Got A Call
Leading Assessments from Katrina to Michael
DECEMBER 13, 2018
ANSWERING A CRAIGSLIST AD HAS SELDOM BEEN SO LIFE-CHANGING.
Marianna Mack began her volunteer tenure with All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response in 2005 when Hands On USA responded to Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Mississippi. The post had advertised a group in need of volunteers to perform disaster relief in many different capacities. Her kids were young so she committed to two weeks to volunteer – the first time.
Flying over the disaster zone a quick thought flashed through her mind- “why do people like blue roofs so much?” before immediately realizing they were tarped from storm damage. She found the airport half demolished when she stepped off the plane in Biloxi and joined a small group who had answered the same listing she had.
That small group quickly grew to hundreds of volunteers, all possessing the same intrinsic motivation to do something about those affected by Katrina. Marianna returned six times to Biloxi, staying for two weeks each deployment and recalls a feeling of familiarity, though it was never exactly the same. As she continued to be a part of rapid response for future projects, that feeling never faltered.
THEN HURRICANE HARVEY HIT
and Marianna quit her job.
Volunteering and making a difference in people’s lives were what was important to her now, plain and simple. The month-long absence she had promised her family in Portland evolved into four months in Houston, followed quickly by another three months in Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Maria. Exhausted physically and emotionally, she promised herself a summer back home in Portland.
…AND THEN SHE GOT A CALL
In June, residents of Hildalgo County in Texas were hit with heavy rains and many homes flooded. Sherry Buresh, who was All Hands and Hearts’ Director of U.S. Response until October 2018, asked Marianna to travel to Mission, Texas to serve on DART as a lead assessor. She committed to two weeks and made an incredible impact on Mission residents, hearing their stories, supporting her teammates, and headed back to Portland for the remainder of the summer.
…AND THEN SHE GOT A CALL
Hawaii’s big island was in danger of getting hit by Tropical Storm Lane and Sherry could think of no one more qualified to lead assessments and train others than Marianna. She flew with the team to The Big Island, reached out to residents of Hilo, and found the Aloha in the Hawaiian people. Neighbor took care of neighbor and work progressed quickly in the wake of disaster.
…AND THEN SHE GOT A CALL
On every project there are always assessments where the work needing to be completed far exceeds the scope of what All Hands and Hearts can safely accomplish with volunteers. She sits with the homeowners, hears their stories of flooding and wind and fear, walks through memories made in a home with a now crumbling foundation, and has to tell them that, I’m sorry, no, we cannot help you. And they thank her. For her time, for her ear, for her desire to even try to help.
THEY THANK HER.
“It’s so stunning to have people be so gracious even when you are telling them no, I’m sorry, we can’t help you.”
Watching the organization grow and change over the past decade, Marianna has noted something more impactful than the change of t-shirt colors or the collaboration of names. She is proud to see a great number of empowered women in leadership: Program directors, project managers, and team leaders, her rapid response teams have been full of strong women. Marianna is one of these strong women and she, like the rest, will answer that call and support communities in the wake of disaster.
FOOTNOTES
Photos and article by HR Wright for All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response
