Of course, it didn’t hurt that one of the co-hosts is a dear friend of mine from college days and beyond – John Strand. That’s him on the left - I took some screen shots before calling in. John had emailed late Thursday to say that he was going to co-host a Fargo radio talk show that evening. The midnight to 5am show was being used to disseminate flood information to the Fargo/Moorhead area. He’d included the web link and invited us to call in with questions, share comments and concerns, or just to say hello. I didn't see that email until the next morning. I emailed and told him I felt bad for missing it.
He emailed later that day and said he would be on again that evening. So, I clicked on just after 10pm my time (midnight his time) and listened for about a half-hour before dialing in.
The guy answering the phone asked for my first name and where I was calling from; then placed me on hold after saying I would be the next person they talked with. At the time, they were talking with a woman who was manning the local volunteer hotline – she was giving volunteers information about where they were needed, what types of things needed doing, or numbers to call for other types of information.
She talked about the spirit of the volunteers. How it made her feel that so many people – 80,000 volunteers in all – had stepped up, hour-after-hour, through the cold, snow and wind, to save the homes, businesses and lives of the Fargo/Moorhead area residents. Think of that – 80,000 volunteers. Fargo’s total population – men, women, children, cats and dogs – is just over 90,000.
She said she hoped that the rest of the nation would see how this community of volunteers, working together, had managed to fill and place over 3 million sandbags. That working together can produce tremendously positive results – and maybe that was a lesson a lot of people in the world needed to take away from this…it’s about helping each other in times of crisis; not just helping ourselves.
She talked about the bone-tiredness of volunteers at the end of a 4-hour shift. But how, just 6 hours later, those same volunteers would be back on the line ready to help again. People, she said had come from all over the Midwest, by the busloads and carloads, to help. The volunteers were of all ages. Those who weren't able to fill or place sandbags were helping prepare and deliver food and supplies. Some were manning phones or setting up off-site shelters. Others who were too far away to lend a physical hand were calling to find out how they could help monetarily or emotionally.
When it was finally my turn, John said there was a caller from Washington state named Sue…and he thought he might just know who that was. Then, he turned to the camera and with a wide smile on his face, waved and yelled “Hi Susy!” (Those college nicknames never seem to go away, do they?) I’m slightly embarrassed to say I waved back – and I didn’t have a web cam on.
John explained who I was, that both Randy and I had graduated from NDSU in Fargo, and that we still had many friends and relatives in the area and the state. He asked what people here in Vancouver and Portland were saying about the flood, and asked what our feelings were about being so far away while people we knew and cared about were fighting for their homes.
We talked about the spirit of ND and her people. We talked about our sandbagging days in college. And we talked about our college friends – now pillars of the community – who were fighting to save their homes.
Since Friday, I’ve tuned in a couple more times; listening to volunteers and residents talk about what keeps them going; listening to callers from out-of-state tell why this flood and the overwhelming volunteer response to it keeps them tuned in and hanging on…how they feel a camaraderie with the people there. The guy answering the phone asked for my first name and where I was calling from; then placed me on hold after saying I would be the next person they talked with. At the time, they were talking with a woman who was manning the local volunteer hotline – she was giving volunteers information about where they were needed, what types of things needed doing, or numbers to call for other types of information.
She talked about the spirit of the volunteers. How it made her feel that so many people – 80,000 volunteers in all – had stepped up, hour-after-hour, through the cold, snow and wind, to save the homes, businesses and lives of the Fargo/Moorhead area residents. Think of that – 80,000 volunteers. Fargo’s total population – men, women, children, cats and dogs – is just over 90,000.
She said she hoped that the rest of the nation would see how this community of volunteers, working together, had managed to fill and place over 3 million sandbags. That working together can produce tremendously positive results – and maybe that was a lesson a lot of people in the world needed to take away from this…it’s about helping each other in times of crisis; not just helping ourselves.
She talked about the bone-tiredness of volunteers at the end of a 4-hour shift. But how, just 6 hours later, those same volunteers would be back on the line ready to help again. People, she said had come from all over the Midwest, by the busloads and carloads, to help. The volunteers were of all ages. Those who weren't able to fill or place sandbags were helping prepare and deliver food and supplies. Some were manning phones or setting up off-site shelters. Others who were too far away to lend a physical hand were calling to find out how they could help monetarily or emotionally.
When it was finally my turn, John said there was a caller from Washington state named Sue…and he thought he might just know who that was. Then, he turned to the camera and with a wide smile on his face, waved and yelled “Hi Susy!” (Those college nicknames never seem to go away, do they?) I’m slightly embarrassed to say I waved back – and I didn’t have a web cam on.
John emailed yesterday that he'll continue hosting the midnight-5am (Central time) shift “until the crisis is over.” Unfortunately, with the state in the throes of yet another blizzard, that could be awhile!
Keep up the good work, John and all of you volunteers. My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Fargo/Moorhead and throughout the state as you fight this battle in bitter cold temperatures, biting wind and seemingly never-ending snow.
No comments:
Post a Comment