Like Darrell Fuller
It is said that if you want something done, get a busy person. One of those busy people is Keizerite Darrell Fuller.
Fuller, a lobbyist, returned earlier this week after two weeks working with the American Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Ft. Myers, Fl. Ian was among the top 10 largest hurricanes to ever hit the United States
His task was in public relations—taking photographs and writing stories, primarily for distribution in Florida and also for the American Red Cross website.
One of 70 Oregon Red Cross volunteers, Fuller answered the call for help. The organization has a list of hundreds of disaster relief volunteers from around the country who can respond to natural disasters including tornadoes and floods. He had a business obligation first, so he packed up the supplies he needed and headed to the east coast.
Once he arrived in Ft. Meyers, Fuller said he was struck by what he saw.
“It was the vastness [of the destruction] and the amount of damage,” he said. “I was struck by the tonnage of sand that was moved inland by the storm surge.” He related that a hurricane piles things up and then it soaks in saltwater for weeks. “It has a very distinctive odor to it,” said Fuller.
When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross jumps into action, calling its volunteers to the location. The organization’s primary goal is to provide shelter and food for survivors, assuring that they have access to needed medications. “They often arrive at our shelters with only what they’re wearing,” said Fuller.
During the Ian aftermath the Red Cross was serving 25,000 meals a day from their Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs).
Part of Fuller’s task was to talk with survivors and volunteers. “The Red Cross used a horn and a public address system that said, ‘Red Cross free food, come and get it,” he said. Those were the kind of stories Fuller would write.
The American Red Cross is but one of the many organizations for which Fuller volunteers. He is a volunteer firefighter for the Keizer Fire District, he is a board member of Hope Station, a Salem food bank and a member of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce’s Men
of Action in Keizer (MAK), to name just a few.
“I think everybody should find something they’re passionate about and devote some of their time to it,” Fuller said about volunteering. “If everybody does a little bit, a lot can get done.” He encourages people to volunteer for something they’re interested in, so you’d do it with joy and with intensity. “Go find that thing and do it, and make Keizer a better place. Make Oregon a better place. Make America a better place.”
Fuller exemplifies the idea of giving a task to a busy person. Whatever he tackles, he gets the job done.