Public Employee Press

Human Rights worker volunteers on Red Cross mission

Fritz Sanchez was a trooper in the army of volunteers that the Red Cross dispatched to help Louisiana residents cope with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

Sanchez, an Associate Human Rights Specialist and city employee for nearly 30 years, worked out of the Baton Rouge Red Cross headquarters Oct. 11-22.

He joined a team of volunteers who traveled several hours a day to visit rural communities, where they assessed the damage to homes and provided emergency financial assistance of up to $1,800 to homeowners.

“These people were really devastated,” said Sanchez.

“Louisiana is a poor state. Most of these folks didn’t have insurance. Many who own their homes inherited them years ago, and their houses are 100 years old.”

A surreal picture
Sanchez has worked with the Red Cross since he volunteered to help out with the recovery after the 9/11 attacks. He later established the organization’s Bronx Disaster Assistance Team, which responds to floods, fires and building collapses.

Much of Sanchez’s work in Louisiana involved assessing water damage in homes. Under Red Cross guidelines, a home is considered destroyed if the waterline reaches 5 feet.

In an interview, Sanchez painted a nearly surreal picture of the disaster: flattened homes, uprooted trees, knocked-around trailer homes and a block of discarded refrigerators ready to be carted away.

Sanchez said the modesty and selflessness of many of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita struck him. He recalled how a local police chief ushered the Red Cross team around town and didn’t even mention his personal catastrophe until prodded by the volunteers.

“He was still living in the home, but his wife wasn’t,” Sanchez said. “His home had mold and cracks in the ceiling,” Sanchez said. “Some doors couldn’t open, and the hurricane winds had shifted the house from the foundation and caused structural damage.”

After returning home, Sanchez was happy to take advantage of the help the Red Cross offers its own volunteers to cope with the personal tragedies they witnessed. “It’s very helpful to talk about your experience,” said Sanchez. “You kind of get it off your chest.”

— Gregory N. Heires