By Mary Jo Blackwood, American Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
When disaster threatens and you are evacuated from your home, your neighborhood and everything that makes you feel safe, it can be frightening. It’s even harder when you have disabilities that are compensated for in your home but not in a strange setting like a shelter or hotel room. The American Red Cross understands this fear and wants everyone to feel safe and welcomed.
For the last several years, The Red Cross’ Disability Integration (DI) team has worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone is cared for in these distressing situations. Loni Koller, a volunteer for about two and a half years, started her Red Cross volunteer career working on a Disaster Action Team. When she discovered the Disability Integration Initiative, she found a cause she could really get her arms around. In short order, she became the DI chapter lead for the Mile High chapter, then the regional lead for the Colorado-Wyoming region and is now lead for multiple states.
Loni explains how the initiative works, “when disasters, like the Colorado fires happen, volunteers in health services or the shelter team interview the people coming to shelter and find out about additional support they may need. Then I go into action. We try, for each area to have a blue sky (every day) plan for disasters that includes resources and community partners we can work with to meet the array of client needs.”
Some of the needs they may encounter include:
- Language barriers
- High-risk pregnancies
- People who have no sight or no hearing
- People needing special durable medical equipment/DME (wheelchair, walker, etc.) they couldn’t bring with them
- Sensory Kits (includes a weighted blanket, noise deadening headphones and a squishy ball) for kids and adults on the autism spectrum
Koller says, “in this region, we are part of an excellent Access and Functional Needs network, including FEMA and Homeland Security, county’s emergency management, among others. Of course, if people have time and help when evacuating, they can bring their own durable medical equipment (DME), but that isn’t always possible. So we need to track down what they need to function safely while evacuated.”
This fall, Koller was able to help Melanie Mahoney, a woman with multiple sclerosis. Melanie was forced to evacuate her home because of the Cameron Peak fire in northern Colorado and sheltered at a hotel the Red Cross was using for shelter for the wildfire evacuees. Melanie wasn’t able to bring all of her medical equipment when she evacuated. The room she was in was technically ADA compliant, but an older building often lacks some of the things she used at home. Loni was able to work with a medical equipment supplier to get Melanie an elevated toilet seat with arms for support and a bath bench so she could get in and out of a tub/shower.
Because of Loni’s dedication, the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming has a comprehensive list of partners and suppliers for our blue-sky plan to meet as many needs as possible. She even works with other regions to help them build their own resource lists.
Melanie Mahoney appreciates Loni, other Red Cross volunteers and the help they provided during her two evacuations. Melanie’s home of 35 years is located in a rural area, 40 miles northwest of Fort Collins, this summer was not the first time she had been evacuated. Melanie has dealt with this scare and disaster before
This time, the Cameron Peak fire resulted in Melanie’s evacuation twice, once for three days and one for 13 days before she could safely return to her home. After she checked in at the Red Cross evacuation center, Melanie was assigned a place to stay.
“Loni was really a godsend. I’ve had hip replacements, so not much strength in my lower body. The toilet in the unit I was in was low and not close to a wall, so I had nothing to hold onto to raise and lower myself,” says Melanie. “Loni got someone to come in and install the higher seat and handles so I could use it without fear of falling.”
Melanie gets around well with a cane as long as the ground is level. She was grateful that the Embassy Suites had an illuminated dog park with firm paths so she could take her dogs out. She says that overall it was a positive experience. She felt safe and taken care of.
Red Crossers realize that anyone can be affected by disaster, and they try to plan accordingly to anticipate and meet pressing needs. Koller says she gets so much out of helping clients and working with other volunteers to get even better at anticipating and meeting disaster clients’ needs.
