Tambra Stevenson, MS-Health Communication '04

In late August 2005, the news focused on Hurricane Katrina in the Southern Gulf coast of the United States. Along with many Americans, Tambra Stevenson, MS-Health Communication '04 saw the images of despair and hope. To her the eye of the storm revealed the opportunity for people to respond to the call to improve the living and health conditions for all, especially in the rural and Southern U.S.

Tambra wondered how and when an opportunity would arise, so that she could make an 'everyday' difference in people's lives. While she strived to be in her current position at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, DC working on national health policy issues, she yearned to take a break and connect locally with the people affected by our policies. Also by being buried under layers of bureaucracy, she felt removed from making an 'everyday' impact. Katrina gave Tambra that reason and opportunity to connect. As many organizations found ways to reach out, HHS provided grants and had U.S. Public Health Officers and federal employees responding to the Hurricane efforts. Tambra signed up to volunteer through HHS. However, given the work needed to start up the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, a new HHS office, where she work, she agreed with her supervisor to wait until 2006 to go down South to help.

An opportunity couldn't have occurred sooner. In early winter, Tambra received an announcement on the Volunteer Vacation Program with the student-run Leonard Carmichael Society to travel to the Gulf region of Mississippi from January 11-18, 2006 to help with rebuilding efforts in rural towns.

Joy and gratitude radiated over Tambra. She finally had an opportunity to go and help in an area where she had family and with a group that she knew. While in Gulfport, they separated into teams working on various community rebuilding projects coordinated by the Youth for Christ (YFC). YFC is a faith-based nonprofit organization that also provided them with housing in their teen center.

Tambra's team worked with the St. James Baptist Church, which had a disaster recovery program in Gulfport. Unlike the once grand, now demolished churches located on the beach, St. James is a medium-sized Southern Baptist Church located literally on the other side of the railroad tracks. Post Katrina, St. James became a beacon of light serving as a make-shift hospital, shelter, food pantry, relief center, and volunteer center all in one.

With the leadership of St. James, the mostly female, 30-person team worked on several projects particularly for the elderly who had no insurance and little assistance. In one situation, a grandmother who had Alzheimer's forgot to renew her policy, so her adult children had came from northern Mississippi to Gulfport to oversee the home improvements. While in the Gulf, they hopped from home to home gutting, painting, cleaning, and raking. On one site, they worked with a volunteer team from Minnesota to remove a 100-foot tall oak tree from the roof of another elderly woman's home. Within 72 hours of our work, she finally got her FEMA trailer in her front yard after 6 months. They also gave donations to a nonprofit called Katrina's Kitchen in the tent city area of Pass Christian, MS.

Together, Tufts and the local community volunteers served as ambassadors of hope and Tambra was grateful to have worked with everyday heroes. The experience truly had an impact on her and those around her. Some students plan to spend their summers working with St. James. As for Tambra, she is working on a social marketing project called 'Postcards from Katrina', to bring awareness on the need for volunteers in the Gulf. Also the project will showcase photos and stories from other volunteers who worked in the Katrina-impacted areas. To submit your story and learn more about the project and the Gulf, please visit www.postcardsfromkatrina.com.