Joyce Weaver was presented with an award for her volunteer work with the American Red Cross providing mental health assistance during disasters. As a retired mental health counselor, Weaver has responded to crises locally like Hurricane Sandy and nationally in places like Colorado and Missouri. She helps people cope with trauma and transition after losing their homes to disasters. Weaver finds the work gratifying and enjoys using her skills to help others in their time of need.
Vind hier meer informatie over Rail 4 Kids. Deze actie heeft als doel om deze zomer 55 kansarme kinderen mee te nemen op reis met de hogesnelheidstrein.
Though various sources are available these days for powder coatings. But the thing is to get the best option in terms of technical strength and durability along with economy calculated. C&C Coatings has been choice of these days due to its experience in this field. Get best surface finish, scratch resistance and superior quality wear resistance with this coating. The coating thickness varies according to demand of the situation.
EMTRhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to ass.docxgidmanmary
EMT
Rhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to assist in the Haiti recovery efforts, he arrived in the disaster-impact area, and became a part of a major crisis. He labored with zeal over two weeks, working with the wounded, mutilated, and broken bodies of the victims—both dead and alive. He helped in the rescue efforts by digging dead bodies out of rubble, participating in the burial of the dead, and tending to the wounded. The more he helped, the more he began to feel that the sheer number of dead and wounded was beyond his capacity to cope. Thereafter, he experienced decreased appetite, was oblivious to his uniform and shelter, and adopted the belief that he had to “save everybody”. He was on overdrive and gave his best efforts, but without adequate support arrangements, on the first night, he collapsed in a state of exhaustion among the wounded and the dead, and fell asleep. This was only the first night for this doctor in the disaster area. Over the next few days maintaining the same routine, he started to develop physical fatigue and tiredness, and had difficulty going to sleep. He became fearful of the aftershocks that continued to rock the ground. Outbursts of anger became a constant feature of his personality, and as a result, he also became quarrelsome with his colleagues. All these complaints rendered him unable to perform his duties. There was now no pleasure in daily life, and he experienced the feeling of “having not done enough”. In the face of such adversity from nature, he was trapped in a persistent state of physical and emotional fatigue. What are the signs and symptoms that Rhett is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider him impaired?
School Counselor
Linda was an elementary and middle school counselor in New Orleans when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall. The population of her school scattered around the United States after the storm, and my school did not officially open until after the winter break in January, 2006. Though she initially evacuated to Atlanta, Georgia, she relocated one week later to another city in Louisiana where she accepted a temporary job as an elementary school counselor. The school in the other city accepted over a hundred new students who were hurricane Katrina evacuees, some of whom were students from my school in New Orleans. All of the students and families were struggling to adapt to a new way of living and at the same time struggling to learn any information that they could related to their homes. Communication was a challenge in those first few weeks after the storm, and it was impossible to know if everyone from her school had evacuated safely. Personally, she was struggling with the same types of challenges as the families with whom she worked. She did not know if she had lost her home or her job in New Orleans, and she was unsure if all of her friends and family were safe. Her memories of that time are limited. She spends her days working with studen ...
EMTRhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to ass.docxchristinemaritza
EMT
Rhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to assist in the Haiti recovery efforts, he arrived in the disaster-impact area, and became a part of a major crisis. He labored with zeal over two weeks, working with the wounded, mutilated, and broken bodies of the victims—both dead and alive. He helped in the rescue efforts by digging dead bodies out of rubble, participating in the burial of the dead, and tending to the wounded. The more he helped, the more he began to feel that the sheer number of dead and wounded was beyond his capacity to cope. Thereafter, he experienced decreased appetite, was oblivious to his uniform and shelter, and adopted the belief that he had to “save everybody”. He was on overdrive and gave his best efforts, but without adequate support arrangements, on the first night, he collapsed in a state of exhaustion among the wounded and the dead, and fell asleep. This was only the first night for this doctor in the disaster area. Over the next few days maintaining the same routine, he started to develop physical fatigue and tiredness, and had difficulty going to sleep. He became fearful of the aftershocks that continued to rock the ground. Outbursts of anger became a constant feature of his personality, and as a result, he also became quarrelsome with his colleagues. All these complaints rendered him unable to perform his duties. There was now no pleasure in daily life, and he experienced the feeling of “having not done enough”. In the face of such adversity from nature, he was trapped in a persistent state of physical and emotional fatigue. What are the signs and symptoms that Rhett is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider him impaired?
School Counselor
Linda was an elementary and middle school counselor in New Orleans when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall. The population of her school scattered around the United States after the storm, and my school did not officially open until after the winter break in January, 2006. Though she initially evacuated to Atlanta, Georgia, she relocated one week later to another city in Louisiana where she accepted a temporary job as an elementary school counselor. The school in the other city accepted over a hundred new students who were hurricane Katrina evacuees, some of whom were students from my school in New Orleans. All of the students and families were struggling to adapt to a new way of living and at the same time struggling to learn any information that they could related to their homes. Communication was a challenge in those first few weeks after the storm, and it was impossible to know if everyone from her school had evacuated safely. Personally, she was struggling with the same types of challenges as the families with whom she worked. She did not know if she had lost her home or her job in New Orleans, and she was unsure if all of her friends and family were safe. Her memories of that time are limited. She spends her days working with studen.
Even after 23 years of ministry, God has proven time and again that He specializes in the business of the impossible.
In the most desperate of circumstances, He is working to redeem and restore every inch of the world He created. And He invites every single one of us to join Him.
Our purpose—the very reason why we exist—is to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus on the ground to whomever we meet, wherever we are.
Together, as the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus, we were able to impact 2,707,283 men, women, and children around the world in 2014 alone.
Our 2014 Annual Report will provide you with a glimpse into how God works when His people come together as one body. I pray you will be encouraged by the stories of impact and your heart would be moved to join us for another remarkable year ahead.
Vind hier meer informatie over Rail 4 Kids. Deze actie heeft als doel om deze zomer 55 kansarme kinderen mee te nemen op reis met de hogesnelheidstrein.
Though various sources are available these days for powder coatings. But the thing is to get the best option in terms of technical strength and durability along with economy calculated. C&C Coatings has been choice of these days due to its experience in this field. Get best surface finish, scratch resistance and superior quality wear resistance with this coating. The coating thickness varies according to demand of the situation.
EMTRhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to ass.docxgidmanmary
EMT
Rhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to assist in the Haiti recovery efforts, he arrived in the disaster-impact area, and became a part of a major crisis. He labored with zeal over two weeks, working with the wounded, mutilated, and broken bodies of the victims—both dead and alive. He helped in the rescue efforts by digging dead bodies out of rubble, participating in the burial of the dead, and tending to the wounded. The more he helped, the more he began to feel that the sheer number of dead and wounded was beyond his capacity to cope. Thereafter, he experienced decreased appetite, was oblivious to his uniform and shelter, and adopted the belief that he had to “save everybody”. He was on overdrive and gave his best efforts, but without adequate support arrangements, on the first night, he collapsed in a state of exhaustion among the wounded and the dead, and fell asleep. This was only the first night for this doctor in the disaster area. Over the next few days maintaining the same routine, he started to develop physical fatigue and tiredness, and had difficulty going to sleep. He became fearful of the aftershocks that continued to rock the ground. Outbursts of anger became a constant feature of his personality, and as a result, he also became quarrelsome with his colleagues. All these complaints rendered him unable to perform his duties. There was now no pleasure in daily life, and he experienced the feeling of “having not done enough”. In the face of such adversity from nature, he was trapped in a persistent state of physical and emotional fatigue. What are the signs and symptoms that Rhett is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider him impaired?
School Counselor
Linda was an elementary and middle school counselor in New Orleans when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall. The population of her school scattered around the United States after the storm, and my school did not officially open until after the winter break in January, 2006. Though she initially evacuated to Atlanta, Georgia, she relocated one week later to another city in Louisiana where she accepted a temporary job as an elementary school counselor. The school in the other city accepted over a hundred new students who were hurricane Katrina evacuees, some of whom were students from my school in New Orleans. All of the students and families were struggling to adapt to a new way of living and at the same time struggling to learn any information that they could related to their homes. Communication was a challenge in those first few weeks after the storm, and it was impossible to know if everyone from her school had evacuated safely. Personally, she was struggling with the same types of challenges as the families with whom she worked. She did not know if she had lost her home or her job in New Orleans, and she was unsure if all of her friends and family were safe. Her memories of that time are limited. She spends her days working with studen ...
EMTRhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to ass.docxchristinemaritza
EMT
Rhett is an EMT that is in the Army reserves. Called to assist in the Haiti recovery efforts, he arrived in the disaster-impact area, and became a part of a major crisis. He labored with zeal over two weeks, working with the wounded, mutilated, and broken bodies of the victims—both dead and alive. He helped in the rescue efforts by digging dead bodies out of rubble, participating in the burial of the dead, and tending to the wounded. The more he helped, the more he began to feel that the sheer number of dead and wounded was beyond his capacity to cope. Thereafter, he experienced decreased appetite, was oblivious to his uniform and shelter, and adopted the belief that he had to “save everybody”. He was on overdrive and gave his best efforts, but without adequate support arrangements, on the first night, he collapsed in a state of exhaustion among the wounded and the dead, and fell asleep. This was only the first night for this doctor in the disaster area. Over the next few days maintaining the same routine, he started to develop physical fatigue and tiredness, and had difficulty going to sleep. He became fearful of the aftershocks that continued to rock the ground. Outbursts of anger became a constant feature of his personality, and as a result, he also became quarrelsome with his colleagues. All these complaints rendered him unable to perform his duties. There was now no pleasure in daily life, and he experienced the feeling of “having not done enough”. In the face of such adversity from nature, he was trapped in a persistent state of physical and emotional fatigue. What are the signs and symptoms that Rhett is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider him impaired?
School Counselor
Linda was an elementary and middle school counselor in New Orleans when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall. The population of her school scattered around the United States after the storm, and my school did not officially open until after the winter break in January, 2006. Though she initially evacuated to Atlanta, Georgia, she relocated one week later to another city in Louisiana where she accepted a temporary job as an elementary school counselor. The school in the other city accepted over a hundred new students who were hurricane Katrina evacuees, some of whom were students from my school in New Orleans. All of the students and families were struggling to adapt to a new way of living and at the same time struggling to learn any information that they could related to their homes. Communication was a challenge in those first few weeks after the storm, and it was impossible to know if everyone from her school had evacuated safely. Personally, she was struggling with the same types of challenges as the families with whom she worked. She did not know if she had lost her home or her job in New Orleans, and she was unsure if all of her friends and family were safe. Her memories of that time are limited. She spends her days working with studen.
Even after 23 years of ministry, God has proven time and again that He specializes in the business of the impossible.
In the most desperate of circumstances, He is working to redeem and restore every inch of the world He created. And He invites every single one of us to join Him.
Our purpose—the very reason why we exist—is to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus on the ground to whomever we meet, wherever we are.
Together, as the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus, we were able to impact 2,707,283 men, women, and children around the world in 2014 alone.
Our 2014 Annual Report will provide you with a glimpse into how God works when His people come together as one body. I pray you will be encouraged by the stories of impact and your heart would be moved to join us for another remarkable year ahead.
1. On call to help
Pictured left to right: Liz Barker, interim CEO, Long Island Red Cross; Joyce Weaver, award
recipient; and Josh Lockwood, regional CEO, American Red Cross in Greater NY.
Photo provided by American Red Cross
Story By: LIZ FINNEGAN
3/24/2016
ISLIP—Joyce Weaver has spent a good part of her working life lending an ear and her expertise in
mental health to people who are in crisis. And even after she retired, she continued that work as a
volunteer. In honor of Red Cross Month, on March 5, Weaver was presented with the Disaster Cycle
Services Award for her work with the American Red Cross, Long Island Region. Michael
deVulpillieres, communications officer for the organization, said regarding the recipient, “She’s an
amazing woman who does great work.”
“I was surprised,” said Weaver upon hearing about the award. “But I was honored.”
Weaver is a licensed mental health counselor. After working for years in Suffolk County Department
of Social Services, she went on to open her own private practice in East Islip. In the 1970s, she
became the first coordinator of the newly organized Islip Hotline.
“I like working with people who have experienced a trauma,” she said. “I like helping them to get past
it and put their lives back together.”
Although the American Red Cross had always appealed to her, she first felt the need to join them in
their efforts back in 1996 after the TWA Flight 800 disaster, when many mental health counselors
were deployed to assist the families of the victims of that plane crash. “I wanted to run right down
there [to help]”, she said. However, her responsibilities at work made it impossible at the time. That
opportunity became reachable upon her retirement in 2007.
Since that time, Weaver has answered the call for the Red Cross, both near and far. Weaver, a
mother of two grown children and now a grandmother and great-grandmother, has traveled to help
out during the Colorado wildfires in 2012, and she attended the victims of the 2011 tornadoes in
Joplin, Missouri. When she travels, she said her husband Paul stays home and “holds down the fort.”
2. Closer to home, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, Weaver walked door to
door in the hardest hit areas and offered assistance on behalf of the American Red Cross. She was
at the Brentwood home explosion several years ago and also the many house fires that have
occurred all over the region. Two weeks ago, she was one of the counselors who responded to a fire
in Sayville that took the life of a 90-year-old woman.
“After [a disaster or fire] people are in a state of shock and have trouble comprehending what’s
happening,” she said. “I talk to them so they don’t suffer long-term consequences.” Weaver helps
displaced individuals transition to a new environment. She also helps the other volunteers who have
been through a traumatic deployment to “decompress” and guides them through some of the
emotions.
“In Joplin,” she said, “half the town was gone. I worked with people trying to figure out what they were
going to do.
“There were many survival stories there and every disaster has a survival story,” she said. Weaver
related one story in Joplin from a man who said after the tornado he found himself outside his home
wrapped in a carpet. Bewildered, he noted that the carpet probably saved his life.
“All of the stories are dramatic and traumatic,” said Weaver. “But what stood out to me there was the
response from everyone who came out to [help]. I saw it in Sandy, too,” she added. “It’s the humane
response [to disaster].”
Liz Barker, the interim CEO of Red Cross Long Island, said that volunteers such as Weaver are the
backbone of the organization that responds to around 200 disasters a year, the majority of them
house fires. In fact, 90 percent of its force is made up of volunteers.
“I’m so happy and proud to be able to work with her,” said Barker of Weaver. “Her strength is that she
cares so deeply.”
Weaver says she is truly passionate about her work. “I refer to myself as a crisis junkie,” she
facetiously remarked. “I just get gratification from being able to continue using the skills I had
practiced in the past and to know that I’m helping someone.”
Anyone interested in volunteering for the American Red Cross should go to the website
www.redcross.org.