Helping Katrinan victims is a full-time job

Arnold and Luella Gomke of Big Arm recently returned from Houston where they faced the difficult challenge of feeding and clothing some 28,000 who evacuated New Orleans to seek shelter under the roof of the Astrodome.

The Red Cross volunteers were originally dispatched to New Orleans. However, their itinerary changed as busloads of evacuees were heading towards Houston where volunteers were on limited supply. The Gomkes assisted a couple dozen volunteers in converting the Astrodome into a temporary sanctuary with semi loads of cots, blankets, food, water and other necessities.

"The decision was made very quickly that because we were so short staffed that we'd split into two groups" — one half would work during the day and the other at night, with each group working 12 hour shifts, Arnold explained.

By 6 a.m. the Gomkes were ushering in six to seven bus loads of evacuees at a time.

"We needed to get these people cleaned up and on a cot to get some sleep because some of these people haven't slept for a couple of days," he said.

And this was just the beginning of their assignment. Not only did they have to get them fed, cleaned and rested, but many of them needed medicine and medical treatment.

"You'd have to live this to understand what you've got when you get a bunch of people like this. You had elderly that were on medication, a lot of them for high blood pressure, diabetes and things like that. They didn't have their medication or they ran out or they didn't take it with them. They did not have medical records so there was no way of knowing unless they told you. A lot of people didn't know their social security number or what they were taking, but they knew they needed medication, so that was a real difficult thing to work with," he said.

Eventually a number of nurses and doctors came in and set up a hospital, clinic and pharmacy onsite outside the dome. They weren't able to access medical records, as most of New Orleans was shut down. But through talking with evacuees, the doctors were able to determine what they needed, the Gomkes said.

At times, the assignment was overwhelming. The floor of the Astrodome was packed with 28,000 people, they said.

"We had people stacked in the bleachers, we had people stacked behind the bleachers, under the bleachers," he said.

Many of the people who arrived were sick, elderly and in wheelchairs.

"I personally, from 6 a.m. to two in the afternoon, never stopped pushing a wheelchair," he said.

He estimates that 99 percent of the people they assisted were welfare recipients.

"There was a lot of news media about how the government didn't do things right and the people weren't evacuated and all that. Well the truth of the matter is 75 percent of the people around the disaster area left and evacuated on their own," he said. "What we dealt with were basically the people that wouldn't go and the people that probably couldn't go."

Before nurses, doctors and additional support arrived, the Gomkes and the other volunteers were essentially on their own. Arnold described his situation like being a paratrooper dropped into the middle of a battle and having to secure an area and fight until his troops arrived.

"Some days we didn't even stop to eat," said Luella. "Some nights we were lucky to get five hours of sleep."

"It was chaos. It was a war zone," he said.

By the third day an outpouring of local volunteers came to help. Wal-Mart brought in about six semi loads of new clothes, boxed and sorted. People assisted as personal shoppers and helped with clothing selections. Shoes were a big need as many of people lost their shoes in the flood.

"So many people had cuts and bruises on their feet," Luella said.

When communication lines were established, volunteers were inundated with phone calls from people seeking friends and family members. With 28,000 packed into the same building, there was no way of knowing who was there.

"It was kind of an overwhelming thing to start with. There was no way you could keep good order, but little by little we got a handle on things and got people taken care of," he said.

Eventually, people were processed in a database and friends and family members reunited.

Meanwhile, there was a plenty to eat, Arnold explained. People were provided three hot meals a day, with all the snacks and soft drinks they wanted. Crates of food were there for the taking — and people took.

"That was kind of a disappointing thing to see," he explained. "People would take apples by the armful only to eat one or two. People see the opportunity to get some extra, they take some extra."

Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing to see was the number of single moms left to fend for themselves, he said.

"There weren't that many men around," he said. "There was a lot of elderly and women with children."

But through it all the Gomkes can take a sense of pride in their efforts — but they don't take much credit. They give all kudos to the Red Cross.

"Even though it looks like something they can't handle, the Red Cross steps up and gets it done," he said.

While the Red Cross is appreciative of the large amount of donations they've received, Arnold advises people to designate donations to a certain cause. For example if you wish to donate to hurricane relief, you must write "hurricane relief" in the memo of the check. However, the Red Cross itself is in need of money for administration needs. He encourages people to designate some of their donations to the Red Cross so it can finance general operations.