(Editor’s Note: A Gwinnett resident who has been a long-time volunteer with the American Red Cross tells how he got involved with volunteering, for which he has been recognized. It’s a heart-warming story of a person who has helped others in need.—eeb)
By Tom Fort
SNELLVILLE, Ga. | I guess you could say that the awards I received volunteering for the Red Cross in the 1990s stemmed from a teenage hobby from over 25 years earlier.
Fort
Another factor was the terrible April 18, 1953 tornado that hit Columbus, Ga. In its path was the house where my mother was five months pregnant with me. The stress of that caused my premature arrival three months early with cerebral palsy. (In my mind, I wasn’t “handicapped” – only “inconvenienced.” I wasn’t aware of any limits to me, having never known anything else.)
The teenage me had a love of radio and electronics. I liked the idea that you could push tiny electrons around on a circuit board and get them to do all kinds of activities that couldn’t be done otherwise. So developed a hobby for me with a few friends, which included equipment such as police/fire scanners, which allowed us to listen to the first responder dispatches. If the incident was close, we’d go see the action. Without being aware of it, I was also learning about the terrible losses that fire victims have.
Early on, I thought I wanted to go into radio announcing after high school. The result was an insignificant career at three unforgettable stations. But then Scientific-Atlanta hired me as an electronic technician. I used their educational benefits to go back to school at night for several years for a degree at Southern Tech in electronic engineering.
Following that, I had a lot of time on my hands. I was looking for volunteering opportunities when Tony Patti, a friend at Scientific-Atlanta, told me about the Red Cross Gwinnett Disaster Action Team. That started me on the way.
Just as it still does with new volunteers, the Red Cross taught me about responding to local disasters, helping families and meeting their disaster-caused needs for food, clothing and shelter. At that time, I didn’t consider how similar this was to my activities as a teenager; only now I had a reason to be there. After a while I started the first Gwinnett Disaster Team newsletter.
As I gained experience, I took Red Cross classes and was assigned to large disasters, which respond to national disasters and often make national news. With my engineering knowledge, it was natural to learn about the software and networks the Red Cross use with their response to large disasters. I set up the Metro Atlanta Chapter’s first website with Maresa DePuy, and a statewide web portal for managers of all Georgia chapters. I was sent to large disaster responses in Puerto Rico twice, Louisiana, Florida and California.
My most memorable assignment was to Columbus after 1994’s Tropical Storm Alberto. I was able to reconnect with the area, see old friends and eat at favorite restaurants.
Now retired as an upper level engineer after 21 years with Scientific-Atlanta, I have fond memories of my volunteer work with the Red Cross. The 1997 United Way Crystal Angel and the 1997 Metro Atlanta Partnership Award obelisk on my shelf remind me every day.
My wife, Beverly, is from Weaverville, N.C., and we were married in 1982. She’s a homemaker and hairdresser. We have a son, Wesley, who is 29. He’s a 2010 graduate of Grayson High, works part-time at Sprouts, and goes to a day program at Creative Enterprises three days a week.
- The Greater Atlanta Red Cross Chapter still needs volunteers. They will teach you all you need to know. You can apply at https://www.redcross.org/local/georgia/volunteer.html
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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