Roberts lends hand to storm victims

Like many people, Darla Roberts thought the Red Cross was mainly concerned with blood drives, but a chance encounter with a friend changed all that, and led Roberts on a journey to storm-torn Miami she will never forget.

“Someone told me about an ad on the radio,” Roberts said, “that asked if you’d give three weeks of your life to help the Red Cross. So I went up there.”

Roberts talked to local Red Cross chapter director Kathy Nesmith, who told her how the program worked and prepared her for the trip. She left Nov. 2 and was told she would be working at a shelter in Miami, which had recently suffered a devastating blow from Hurricane Wilma. She flew from Nashville to Miami and arrived around 8 p.m. that night.

She had been instructed to rent a car and pool with other volunteers, but since none were on hand when she got there, and it was getting late, she called and told Red Cross officials she would rent a car on her own and drive to her hotel. That decision had some pitfalls she was soon to discover.

“The scariest part of it was driving,” Roberts said. “I didn’t realize the street signs were blown down. There were flares in the road because the red-lights weren’t working. I had never driven in Miami. Trees had blown down and there were all kinds of detours. I didn’t realize all that when I decided to drive. But I made it.”

Roberts worked at two shelters in Miami. The first was in the Sunshine Pavilion, and then three days before she left she worked at the Parkway Pavilion after people were moved there.

Though she worked days at first, Roberts was soon moved to the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, which she said was quite a bit different than days. The job for those working third shift was mainly to keep an eye on things and sign in any refugees in the early morning hours looking for a place to stay.

Roberts said at one point the shelter held more than 280 residents, most of whom were from Florida, though some were holdovers from other storms.

“We had some from New Orleans,” Roberts said. “Some of them were still from Katrina. They had been living in shelters all that time. A few were in their fourth shelter still trying to find housing from FEMA. So that was kind of a bad situation.”

Though there is coverage in the media, Roberts said the reality is even more shocking, especially seeing it first-hand.

“Kids with no shoes, kids with no clothes, they would come in with nothing but a diaper. People with no blankets, we were always looking for blankets for them,” Roberts said. “They came in there with nothing. Their homes were flooded out, roofs fallen in. They didn’t have anything.”

Roberts said was glad she volunteered.

“It’s fulfilling,” she said. “And it makes you feel good to help.”

Roberts and her mother, Roxie St. John, run Roxie & Darla’s Fashions here in McMinnville. Her mom was understandably pleased with her daughter’s efforts.

“I think it’s just wonderful,” Roxie said. “The fact that she’s given back to the world some of the things that have been given to her and helped others. I’m very, very proud of her.”