Hello!
My team and I spent two whirlwind weeks in Oklahoma City, left on Thursday and arrived back in Denver on Friday. I regret not posting more while I was in OKC, but we were kept pretty busy and my laptop crashed.
Overall, I enjoyed our time there. When we arrived, the AmeriCorps team we were replacing only had a few hours to train us before they had to leave. It was a pretty crazy transition, but I think we hit the ground running. Luckily we weren't alone; we had the help of a Coconino Rural Environmental Corps (CREC) team that arrived around the same time we did.
I was placed working in FEMA's Joint Field Office, and me and two of the CREC folks took over as the new data management team. We helped manage a database that connects homeowners with needs after the tornadoes to volunteer organizations who want to help. It involved a lot of data entry, phone calls and dispatching work orders. It was hard to be in front of a computer screen all day, but I did feel good about what we were doing. Plus, I was glad to gain some new administrative skills.
It wasn't until out last day there that I got out to see some of the wreckage. Specifically, we visited the memorial at Plaza Towers Elementary School.
It was awesome to end my year in the same place I began it: Oklahoma City. Plus, by chance I had half of my original team, Fire 1, with me! Láni, Bruce and Nadav. It felt very full circle.
Now I'm back in Denver for two weeks of out-processing. It will involve a lot of debriefs, cleaning, packing, paperwork, celebrating, and saying goodbyes. I'm really looking forward to coming home, and I'm glad I have this time to transition.
That's all for now! Hopefully I'll take lots of pictures this week.
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