Six people from the Mile High chapter of the American Red Cross are heading to help in the aftermath of the tornadoes that swept through the South.
Two staff members and four volunteers will be working in Alabama, Georgia, and northern Mississippi.
Patricia Billinger, who works for the Red Cross public affairs office in Denver, will fly to Georgia on Friday morning from North Carolina, where she has been deployed since April 20, after about 60 tornadoes touched down in 20 counties in that state.
Fluent in Spanish, Billinger expects to perform much of the same services in Ringgold, Ga., one of the hardest hit areas in the state.
“Some people in the immigrant community are afraid to seek help,” she said by cell phone from Raleigh, N.C. “They don’t understand that the Red Cross is not asking for their immigration status. They don’t know that we’re not part of the government, not asking to see papers.”
Eric Wood of the information technology staff in Denver is headed to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where at least 37 people were killed and the town was left without power.
At least one satellite dish and many computers have already been shipped there from the Red Cross’ vast warehouse in Austin, Texas, said Wood, who will be setting up computers and Internet phones for people to use in order to connect with families and friends.
He did similar work on in Galveston, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, when there were about 800 people in the Red Cross shelter.
“You see a lot of people who don’t know what to do, and a lot of them are in shock,” he said.
Three nurse volunteers, including Connie Hoffer of Littleton, and a mental health worker will deploy to northern Mississippi.
Most of the injured people will have been treated by the time she arrives on Friday, Hoffer said. Her work will be to help people replace their medications or medical equipment.
“Many people have lost everything, and sometimes it takes a few days to realize you don’t have your medication,” said Hoffer, who previously worked in such disasters as the floods in Nashville, and was among the first responders at the Windsor tornado because she lived 5 miles away.
She said she’s learned to be mentally prepared, and to not get too caught up in emotions that could distract her effectiveness. “I’m happy to offer help in getting their lives back to normal.”
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083 or coconnor@denverpost.com
