Ending the Unamerican Practice of Social Injustice in Disaster Relief
In 2020, disasters have amplified inequity and social injustice in the U.S. more than ever before. It’s time to change that.
By Jake Wood and Wes Moore
The lowlands along America’s Gulf Coast are water-soaked. So are the homes that cover it. Roofs ripped off by hurricane-force winds and crushed by falling trees pockmark the landscape. Already, mold has begun to crawl through the walls of homes here, even in those that were tarped over after Hurricane Laura made landfall and never completely dried. …
“No matter how great or small your service is, it is desired and needed by the world we live in today.”
Seven years ago, we lost Clay. We reflect on his lasting impact and the legacy across our growing organization. As one of our original members, he help sparked the evolution of what is now 75,000 men and women committed to service. Clay left us with a message we strive to uphold:
“If I had one thing to say to my fellow veterans, it would be this: Continue to serve, even though we have taken off our uniforms. No matter how great or small your service is, it is desired and needed by the world we live in today. Volunteer to…
As we enter 2018, let’s look back at moments that touched Team Rubicon volunteers.
Jeremy LeClair: U.S. Coast Guard, Air National Guard — I was part of the first mold remediation class in Texas during Operation Hard Hustle. I spent the remaining week doing mold assessments looking for a house we could work on. One family was living with their 1-year-old in a camper in the back yard. When my partner and I told them why we were back (Team Rubicon volunteers previously mucked out their home), the mom started crying. They couldn’t rebuild their home until mold remediation was done and they couldn’t afford the $3,500 the contractors requested. It was such a…
It’s time to give thanks, so we asked Team Rubicon volunteers to weigh in
Linda Tacy of North Carolina — Thankful for the day when I shouted out to my husband, “I am about to do something that I may regret, but don’t try to stop me!” Thankful I followed through volunteering, watched my red dot go to green, deployed to Beaumont, TX, and soaked in the Team Rubicon experience without one moment of regret!
Scott MacIver of Georgia — I’m thankful to be granted the opportunity help those in need. I joined the Army to serve. Now that I’m retired, Team Rubicon allows me to keep serving.
Sharilyn Wasser of Florida— I’m thankful…
Nancy Smith Survived a Year-Long Battle with Cancer and Now, She’s Helping Hurricane Survivors Cope with Loss
Hurricane Harvey was devastating. Over its life, the storm caused more than $150 billion in damages and destroyed countless lives across Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. The disaster spurred thousands of Team Rubicon volunteers to step up and help residents rebuild in the aftermath. One of the first Greyshirts (TR volunteer) to respond was Ms. Nancy Smith.
Nancy deployed to Houston from her Southern California home in September, serving in remote operations and at the forward operating base in Kashmere Gardens, TX, an underserved area of Houston. She mucked out flooded homes and traveled with relief teams to recovery…
In recognition of Veterans Day, we asked a few of our Team Rubicon volunteers to weigh in.
Andrew Hanna: Army Veteran
I believe there’s a reason that Veterans Day is also Armistice Day. November 11th honors those who have stepped forward and sacrificed for the greater good. A beacon of hope that we may one day see an end to armed conflicts. We should be so blessed to see a world which does not need to create veterans.
Scott Coykendall: Navy Veteran
Veterans Day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Pause to remember those sacrifices made by all who have served this country. Remember those who died on battlefields of places long forgotten. Remember those who came home from those battlefields, carrying the hidden…
Starbucks Employee, Rebecca Chitwood, Shares How She Felt Repurposed After Serving with Team Rubicon.
I am a Marine Corps veteran, but more importantly, I’m a mom (a single mom). I was active duty in the eighties, but did not deploy. I hadn’t seen Team Rubicon’s type of camaraderie since bootcamp.
Recently, I found myself with two adult children. My youngest is finishing high school, and was feeling like I didn’t have a purpose because my kids don’t need me like they used to. I was trying to figure out what’s next, and more or less, what my purpose is now that my children are living their own lives.
I first heard about Team Rubicon…
Coquís, they are calling. Really, they are. Out here in San Sebastián, a hub of the western mountains, we hear the calls of these chirping miniature frogs up close and personally each night, and it’s beautiful.
In Isabela on the northern coast, where we based for the first few weeks, some said that Maria had swept them all away…so it was extra special to learn here that it wasn’t the case at all.
Navy veteran John Nagib reflects on serving with Team Rubicon in Texas after Hurricane Harvey
Sometimes in life things just show up. And, truth be told, the incredible and amazing thing about when things just show up is they often come around precisely when you need them most… and definitely in unexpected ways. Team Rubicon showed up as a magazine cover story in the seat-back pocket on a cross-country Delta flight last December.
When flooding affected Kim Keefe’s home in July 2017, she received support from Team Rubicon on Operation Fox Yeah.
When the flood hit our home on July 12, 2017, I stood on my front walkway with water to my knees, hands on my head, stunned. What the hell do we do? The water kept rising, the pumps kept pumping, and the fish started jumping in our front yard. With our whole block under hip-high water, there was literally nowhere to go.
That first morning, my sister and mom walked in carrying donuts and coffee above their heads to help us drag what was salvageable out of our 2 1/2 foot deep water soaked basement. Thankfully our garage was dry.
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Team Rubicon USA
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. https://teamrubiconusa.org
