Photo courtesy of Marilee Thomas Southwest Minnesota State University employee Marilee Thomas, right, works with fellow Red Cross volunteer Denise Parker of Lead, South Dakota, serving meals from a emergency response vehicle in southwest Florida in response to Hurricane Ian.

Marilee Thomas is well known on the campus of Southwest Minnesota University in her role as office and administrative specialist inside the dean’s office. However, she’s also a highly engaged volunteer in the American Red Cross, according to a SMSU press release.

In October, she spent time in Florida serving those in need following Hurricane Ian. The category 4 hurricane hit the southwest coast of Florida on Sept. 28 with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, according to NOAA.

Among the hardest hit communities were Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Ian moved across central Florida bringing major flooding to Orlando and Naples, where Thomas spent 10 days in early October.

According to the release, Thomas didn’t set out to become so involved in the American Red Cross. In her previous job at a college in northwest Iowa, she was asked to serve as the adviser for the American Red Cross collegiate club. She said yes and was hooked.

“I told my husband I don’t want to wait until I’m retired to start volunteering,” said Marilee. “He’s very supportive.”

She took advantage of training opportunities, many of them online, to prepare for deployment in natural disaster areas across the country. Florida was her fourth deployment. Previously she’s been to Texas and Kentucky to support communities ravaged by flooding and North Carolina after Hurricane Florence.

“It’s a great organization to be a part of. Everyone is out there wanting to help however they can,” she said. “Any way that people want to help, the Red Cross provides the training to help you be successful and prepared.”

Her involvement in the regional and national Red Cross has allowed her to achieve different types of disaster relief training. In August she completed her training as an emergency response vehicle (ERV) driver. With that certification, she was asked to drive the ERV to Florida along with a co-driver.

Thomas spent Sept. 28 also serving the Red Cross by leading a team of volunteers to install smoke alarms in area homes as part of Mustangs Give: Day of Service. That evening, Marilee was met in Marshall by fellow ERV driver, Denise Parker, who drove the ERV from Rapid City, South Dakota.

“They say ERVs are the cavalry of the American Red Cross. We are the eyes and ears when we’re out there doing our job. People see the Red Cross on the ERV. They wave and stop to ask where we’re going,” said Thomas. “There are many generous people out there who pay for our meals along the way.”

The two volunteers arrived in Florida on Oct. 1

The American Red Cross works with the Southern Baptist Kitchen during disasters in the South. The group sets up tent kitchens and can prepare 20,000 meals per day. Thomas’ ERV team loaded up the truck with snacks like protein bars, beef jerky, fruit snacks, and of course, water. They also served hot food and load up 25 boxes of heater meals. These meals are shelf-stable, self-heating emergency meals to distribute to those in need along the routes each day.

“In those areas, people are there isolated, there’s nothing around them and then all of a sudden the Red Cross shows up,” Thomas said. “People would say, ‘I can’t believe you’re here.’ And it was just so cool to bring some hope to people.”

Thomas said they made different stops on each route, such as a mobile home community, apartment building, or senior living development. They also stop to feed volunteer electricians, emergency crews, linemen, and other volunteers who are there helping the residents in the areas affected. Any food left over goes to local homeless shelters.

“The devastation was terrible. You see all this stuff everywhere and you have to remind yourself that it’s people’s lives spread all over the place and destroyed,” she said. “It’s hard to see but being there to help is so rewarding.”

— Story courtesy of Southwest Minnesota Sate University