Wendy Tibbetts

I am passionate about helping people prepare and recover from disaster, either natural or man-made. I got involved with Habitat for Humanity after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast. I enjoyed working with the local residents, helping them rebuild their lives after this devastating event. The feeling of giving another person hope when they think there is none is an amazing experience. I have also worked with Mercy Ships on a land-based team in Honduras. Our mission was to work alongside resident staff at a private orphanage with children of all ages. One of our main objectives was to bring fresh drinking water to the facility, which we succeeded in. We worked in the school system helping students with their daily school work. We also played games, read with them, and assisted in the nursery interacting with the many infants who lived there.The happiness we brought to the children is an experience I will always cherish. Most recently I have worked in Disaster Services with the Red Cross. I enjoy the full Disaster Cycle of Prepare, Respond and Recovery, but preparedness is where my heart lays. My work is very fulfilling, partly because of my interaction with the volunteers on a daily basis. I have lead teams throughout each phase of the Cycle helping them hone their skills to become better volunteers through education and experience. As a Red Cross employee I have also worked on volunteer recruitment, sheltering and food service agreements with local businesses, built and maintained relationships with community partners, deployed for local and national responses, and worked to get volunteers deployed who wanted the chance to serve disaster victims throughout the nation. I work very closely with fire departments throughout my territory on local responses to home fires as well as the nationally recognized Home Fire Campaign. I have taken online and in-class training to better prepare me to be a proactive citizen in my community.