I know I have mentioned a lot about the kiddos and their families I’ve encountered. However, I also want to be sure to share these things as well: The Shelter: the cots and the small area surrounding them became their home I remember when I was playing with one kiddo he asked me if I […]
“Want to see my home?” Read More »
Walking into the shelter we were greeted with endless smiles. Sam (not his real name), one of the kiddos from yesterday, let out a big gasp and smile when he saw me. He was so excited when we opened to come back and play. When his dad, Bob (note his real name), dropped him of
Their Lives Disrupted- Kelsey Loftus Read More »
Our day was filled with lots of adventures from lost GPS signals to unknown place to be and unknown location for staying the night. Once it was all figured out where we would be going, we hit the road. We were told we were going to the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds consisted of a shelter with
Making Play Out of Anything after Hurricane Matthew – Kelsey Loftus Read More »
Sitting here on the plane, a million thoughts run through my head. Starting with how this all came to be, to what this journey will be like. To think this all started from me responding to an email stating I’m available is crazy. I remember Children’s Disaster Services writing back stating it may be difficult
Deploying = Out of My Comfort Zone = Best Place to Be! Read More »
The adventure continues… Tuesday evening I arrived in Fayetteville, NC. During my last flight, I was on a very small plane, throughout the flight I had a long conversation with an elderly lady sitting next to me. She shared that she was coming back home for the first time since Hurricane Matthew. As we were
Deep Bonds and Relationships Read More »
We were excited to be a part of Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) Critical Response Training this past week in Maryland. This two day training focused on specialized deployments including acts of terrorism, man-made disasters, and aviation/transportation disasters. We heard from the American Red Cross, FEMA, NTSB as well as others. Katie Nees (child life
Critical Response Training Read More »
Our partner, Children’s Disaster Services is still on stand-by with the Red Cross for potential deployment. Thank you to the CDS team that was ready and prepared to deploy already! They have not been sent out yet at this point. As of right now, the needs are continually being assessed along with the changing status
Hurricane Matthew Deployment Update Read More »
There is potential for a significant need to help children affected by Hurricane Matthew. If you are certified with our partner, Children’s Disaster Services, please consider your availability to deploy and email the CDS office with that information: [email protected]. NOTE: If you recently trained in Tampa, FL or Kalamazoo, MI, send in your paperwork and your availability.
The Children’s Disaster Services Training in Kalamazoo, Michigan last weekend was a terrific mix of child life specialists, teachers, social workers, emergency management employees, and others with a wide variety of backgrounds and a common love for kids. Take a look at these faces- you might see them on a future deployment!
A Great Training in Kalamazoo! Read More »
We can’t thank the Florida Association of Child Life Professionals (FACLP) enough for hosting the Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) training in Tampa last weekend! We are receiving the final paperwork for participants as we type this and CDS certifications are in process. What a great group of 40 enthusiastic people ready to serve vulnerable kids after disasters! As one
CDS Training Workshop a.k.a. “Superhero Training” – Tampa Read More »