Board Member, Volunteer says ‘Nobody else does what the Red Cross does’

Clarke Cochran poses with an American Red
Cross vehicle while on vacation in Spain.

By Kassidy Ketron, Intern

When Clarke Cochran responded to his first disaster with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Action Team member, he didn’t know he would be helping someone he knew.

About three years ago, the Red Cross board member and volunteer said he didn’t realize it at the time, but when they pulled up to the house that had burned to the ground, it was his very good friend’s home.

“He was there, he was well-to-do, he was well insured,” Cochran said. “Everybody was OK, nobody was hurt, but he was just kind of in a daze and he was saying, ‘I can’t get a hold of my insurance company.’ The DAT captain pulled out his phone and said, ‘Here, I've got the numbers and the emergency response of all the insurance companies,’ dialed it for him, gave it to him and that was the lifeline he needed.”

When Cochran first joined the Red Cross team in 2008, he said he was one of the vice presidents of Covenant and hoping to help serve as a liaison between the two.

Not only does Cochran believe the Red Cross is a great organization, but he said it’s important for people to offer their community a helping hand.

“We depend on our community for all kinds of things whether we realize it or not and therefore, others depend on us,” Cochran said. “So, it’s give and take. Reciprocity. Mutual assistance. Nobody else does what the Red Cross does and we’re a volunteer led organization and therefore, if the Red Cross is not there, people can’t get from here to there. So, that’s why the Red Cross is important.”

During his time with the Red Cross, he said he has learned several things about disasters, small or large.

People, Cochran said, don’t know how to get through the first two or three days after the initial disaster because the path they were once on was changed and they suffer from shock.

“Nobody expects to lose their whole house, all their clothing, their checkbook, their debit card, you know, all the stuff we take for granted. The Red Cross is there after the fire is put out and sometimes while the fire is going on and helping them say, ‘OK, here’s the next few steps and we got you covered for the next couple of days until you can kind of pull together your resources and other community resources.’ So, it’s an essential bridge to getting your life back in order.”

You, too, can work with people like Clarke to be there for your neighbors, friends or fellow community members during times of disaster. To join the American Red Cross team, visit RedCross.org.

Volunteer Turned Board Member Stays Calm, Cool and Collected

Left to right: Gerry Grant, chair of the board, presents Miles
Hardaway with an award during the 2013 Presidential
Awards Ceremony.

By Kassidy Ketron, Intern

Miles Hardaway is able to remain calm during highly stressful situations, which is why he said the American Red Cross is perfect for him.

“I have always been very good in disasters,” he said. “I have a cool mind in a disaster situation and I’ve known that about myself since I was a teenager. So when I decided to start giving back to my community, the Red Cross was a natural fit for my skill sets, or that skill set anyways.”

Hardaway serves on the board, but has been volunteering for about two years as a Disaster Action Team Captain.

The Disaster Action Team members respond immediately to a disaster when called by emergency dispatch. Specially trained DAT volunteers assess the scope of the damage and meet with the affected family or families to determine their immediate disaster-related needs and ensure that those needs are met.

“It’s a way of giving back to the community that you live in,” Hardaway said. “It is a big national organization, but the work that the Red Cross does is always at the local level and it requires local volunteers in order to perform the work of the Red Cross.”

Although he is able to stay calm in collected during stressful situations, he said there are a few things that are more difficult to handle than others.

“I guess the most emotional thing is when a client has lost a pet, then they really lose it,” Hardaway said. “I have four dogs at home and so I really do relate to them and I give my dogs a big hug and a lot of attention after something like that happens.”

While some are upset after the loss of a furry friend, the most common reaction is shock after a family loses their home to a fire, he said. Others may be inconsolable or be calm and take charge of the care of their family.

Volunteers will work with the head of the family to fill out paperwork, explaining the situation and determining which of their belongings are salvageable, Hardaway said.

“They don’t even know what to do when we arrive, or where to go, or what to do at all,” he said. “We give them some directions and we get them thinking about how to recover from this. At the beginning they’re in trauma — they’re not even thinking about it.”

No matter how stressful the situation may be, Hardaway said bringing peace to families during one of the most chaotic days of their lives is the best part of what he does.

To join Miles in helping people in your community, visit RedCross.org to learn what you can do to help.

Erin Imhoff volunteers for the feeling

By Kassidy Ketron
Intern

Erin Imhoff volunteers at Red Cross for the rewarding feeling she has knowing she is preparing people to save a life.

During her nine years at Red Cross, she has taught babysitters classes, wilderness first aid, CPR for the professional rescuer, and CPR for the first aid responder.

“I originally started with Red Cross in college because I needed to be recertified to work when I went back home,” Imhoff said. “And the woman who would be certifying me said that I would be a good candidate to teach Red Cross classes. So that’s how I got started.”

Teaching life saving skills is something she said she has really enjoyed about teaching the different classes at the American Red Cross.

“(I like) the fact that it’s not useless knowledge,” Imhoff said. “It’s actually knowledge that you can apply to make a difference or to actually save someone’s life.”

She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social services at Lubbock Christian University and works at a local social services program, as well as volunteering for Red Cross.

When Imhoff isn’t teaching classes, she is responding to late night calls of a disaster like any Disaster Action Team Captain would. DAT is disaster response unit of people who respond to disasters at any time of the day, providing counseling, clean-up kits and shelters.

“I think sometimes it’s emotionally draining, especially when you have to get up at 3 a.m. and go out there,” she said. “It’s a lot of quickly preparing yourself to cope with someone else’s emotions. But, when all is said and done and you’ve taken care of business, it’s rewarding. It’s kind of like a natural high because you did something helpful, something that no one else could do at 3 a.m. but you.”

Even though Imhoff has school, work and volunteering to juggle she said it’s all about organization and time management.

She said at the end of the day, knowing she taught someone to save a life and gave them the knowledge they need, makes it all worth it.

“I think just in general, it’s all very rewarding, but on different levels,” she said. “Going out on a DAT call is different, it’s kind of more of them warm fuzzy (feelings). In regards to teaching classes, I think it’s just the idea that you empowered somebody to save someone’s life is very rewarding.”

Even after nine years, Imhoff still has a good time with the American Red Cross.

“I think it’s a lot of fun and I think it’s very rewarding to be able to provide assistance in someone’s time of need,” she said.

Although Imhoff has never had to use CPR on anyone, she knows how to save a life if she ever needs to because of her time with the American Red Cross.

“(With) Red Cross, I’ve got life saving skills,” she said. “I think overall, I think it’s a very supportive. The chapters are all very supportive of their volunteers and employees and I think that’s helpful to maintain and to make them want to be a part of Red Cross.”

To join Erin Imhoff and other hardworking volunteers at the South Plains Regional Chapter, visit our website and learn more.