Lives In Jacksonville, Florida
When a person is a victim of a natural disaster, their needs for shelter, food and water are suddenly overwhelming. Whole communities may be affected, and immediate disaster aid is critical.
In 2005, I was volunteering for the American Red Cross in Louisiana as a Shelter Manager during and post Hurricane Katrina. Simultaneously, I lost my home of 30 years in the flood, and was leading and caring for more than 100 victims in my shelter. The immediate struggle for drinking water, food and medical needs was real. Many non-profits and individuals came to our aid in Louisiana in this most difficult time. The heartfelt relief on these victims’ faces was very emotional. One grateful young 9-year-old girl came to me on her 12th day with in the shelter with us and told me, “I want to be a disaster volunteer when I grow up.” These personal volunteer and survival experiences are the reasons I volunteer for Ground Force Humanitarian Aid.
My non-profit volunteer work includes:
Ground Force Humanitarian Aid (Hurricanes Ian and
Debby, California snowstorms, remote support),
American Red Cross - Southeast Louisiana Chapter
(disaster response, shelter management, fire
response, emergency response vehicle driver, public
speaking and education),
CERT, Community Emergency Response Team (disaster
preparedness and response skills) / Florida,
United States Power Squadron (Lieutenant Commander -
Administration, community boat safety education) /
Jacksonville, Florida,
Duval Audubon Society (research and legislation) / Florida,
Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail (board member, marketing,
fund raising) / North Carolina.
With a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, I have over 35 years of retail management experience, medical office administration, inventory procurement, marketing, outside sales, human resources, recruiting, and project management.
Born and raised a Cajun in New Orleans, and currently residing in Jacksonville, Florida.
