Volunteer View
A Spiritual Care team volunteer writes how disaster response impacts his life and the lives of others
by Jim Laverty
When I was asked to respond to a family's request for help following a fatal fire, I felt as if I had been asked to walk on sacred territory. I knew that by entering into the pain and hurt of this family, I was going to a place where not everyone is free to enter.
At the same time I wondered if I was the right person to respond to such a crisis. How could I know what it was like to be in their shoes? What do I have to offer when the hole their daughter left behind is too big to fill?
I took comfort in the fact that when I entered the family's home that afternoon in August, my purpose was to provide love, care and empathy. My hope was that in doing so, the family might experience God's presence in the midst of their suffering.
Our visit with the grandfather was brief but memorable. He shared his need for spiritual and emotional help and his gratitude for the way the American Red Cross was helping with his family's physical needs. He opened up about his faith journey and expressed an interest in praying for peace and hope for himself and his family.
I learned that the children were experiencing different levels of grief and were desperate for professional help. We were able to connect the family with a professional grief counselor from an individual from their faith background a few weeks later.
A few weeks ago I came across a photo of the family in the Philadelphia Inquirer and I couldn't help but say a prayer for them. During my second visit with the family, I was able to meet the grandchildren and to get to know them a little. I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of walking alongside them during this devastating time in their lives.
Jim Laverty is a Spiritual Care team volunteer
