Shelter: Volunteer Offers Another View

It is late morning, I have just completed my volunteer shift at the Red Cross Shelter in Santa Monica. (My shift begins at 5:30 a.m.) I begin to read the newspaper. I am very upset by David Groves’ earthquake article in regards to his comments about the Red Cross Shelter and I feel the need to respond immediately. I don’t want the Westside readers to have an inaccurate portrayal of a shelter that has been a godsend for hundreds.

First, I am sorry that David is one of the tens of thousands of people who are now without a home because of the quake.

I question how much time David has spent at the shelter. It only takes three seconds to notice the cots are not “a sea of blue,” but rather they are green. That’s not easy to miss--there are close to 300 of these forest-green cots.

The kids are not “running around unsupervised.” They are moving about as kids will do, under the direction of their parents in a small area around their cots, which has now become their home. If they are not near their cots, they are on their way to the bathrooms, the supervised play area or the Ping Pong table. No child is allowed to remain unsupervised, and parents and volunteers are extremely diligent about that. Children do move about and perhaps that appeared chaotic to David. But let there be no mistake, these children are human beings. How David thought up the world “cattle” offends me.

The shelter offers three meals a day, at least two of which are hot. There is a certified nurse, a counselor and several volunteers on duty 24 hours a day. Doctors and school officials come in several times a week. Buses to FEMA, local schools and constant information about medical and pharmaceutical assistance are a few of the essential services routinely offered. Modest entertainment including a five-piece jazz band are among those scheduled to perform almost every night.

On night shift, even after the lights are turned off, the activity continues. Volunteers are always available, registering new residents, giving out toothpaste or just taking the time to listen as we serve endless cups of hot coffee or juice.

In regards to David’s questioning a 7-year-old about what she missed most, and she said her Barbie with the pink hat; I was surprised at David’s incorrect conclusion about the shelter being short on toys. Not true. The shelter is very well-stocked on toys and books because of the generous donations by many companies and individuals.

Little girls bond with their dolls, as each and every one of us bond with our own possessions. Losing them all in a half a minute is not an easy notion for adults or children to grasp, and prized possessions are dearly missed by all.

Within the shelter a community emerges. David’s cursory look missed that completely. Residents help residents. Volunteers and staff help. Many residents become “resident volunteers,” chivalrously not allowing me to empty large trash cans, or helping to unload trucks full of supplies.

Living with 250 other people in a college gymnasium is not ideal for anyone. But more than 10,000 people in L.A. are very grateful to have the option to live in a shelter during this time of disaster.

I was stunned to learn during the course of the last two weeks that some residents have actually chosen to live in the shelter than return to their apartments that are certified as structurally sound. These residents are of all races and ages. They are frightened--terrified to live inside their now heavily cracked walls. The comfort of a large group is preferred until the “aftershocks stop” or until they can relocate to another apartment. When I spend my four-hour shifts at the shelter, and feel the camaraderie and comfort provided by this quickly emerged community, I understand these people’s choices. Of course, for most of the residents the shelter is not a choice, it is a last resort, their only option.

The earthquake has taught many of us that our homes, our freeways and ourselves are perhaps more fragile than we once thought. Together we cope. Together we rebuild.

And my respect for the Red Cross grows daily.

LINDA SHAYNE

Pacific Palisades