A communications manager for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems, based in McKinney, Texas, Liz Brannan was one of the many Raytheon employees who generously volunteered her personal time and resources to help Katrina disaster victims get back on their feet. By reaching out to a stranger in need, she learned firsthand the tremendous good that such a gesture can make in the lives of both the giver and the receiver. Here is an excerpt highlighting what she encountered in her volunteer experience.

Making a Personal Connection
It all began on Labor Day weekend when Liz Brannan made a decision to become increasingly involved in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Like so many others, she had already donated money and supplies, but that wasn’t enough. Now she wanted to do something more personal. So on her way home from the gym that Saturday, she stopped by the local recreation center — converted to an evacuee shelter only the day before — to see if she could lend a hand. 

Brannan approached “Douglas,” a 60-year-old man “with nothing but the clothes on his back and a small plastic bag of personal belongings.” He told her that he had been separated from his niece during the evacuation and was anxious to find her. Fortunately, he had brought along all his paperwork — Social Security card, employee time card (he had been working for a large New Orleans hotel) and Louisiana state ID — so he could register for disaster relief aid. 

Reunions in Texas
As Brannan helped Douglas settle in, she learned more about his life. New Orleans was the only home he had ever known, and he found it extremely unsettling to be in a new place away from his niece, co-workers and friends. A hotel janitor, Douglas had walked to work in the French Quarter every day for 25 years and enjoyed his routine. He also took great pride in his work. “He told me how he could run a floor buffer with one hand and not hit any chairs or leave any scratches,” said Brannan. 

For the past 19 years, since the death of his sister, Douglas had cared for his niece, even sharing a home with her. Locating his niece now was of paramount importance. Brannan made many phone calls and posted the family members’ names on various websites, including the FEMA/Red Cross missing persons list. Finally, after a week of searching, she located his niece.

Brannan also helped Douglas reach his employers, who had been frantically searching for him and their other employees for 10 days. As it turned out, the hotel chain’s headquarters was in the Dallas area. His supervisors in New Orleans were thrilled to hear that he was well and made a special trip to visit him at the shelter a few days later.

Heading Home
About two weeks after his arrival at the Texas shelter, Douglas headed for home. Hotel management arranged for him to travel with them back to New Orleans and resume his job. FEMA had taken over the hotel; consequently there was a crucial need for staff members like Douglas to support the new “guests.” With mixed emotions Brannan helped Douglas pack up and check out of the shelter — happy to see him going back to the life he loved, yet sad to see him go.

“I had grown very attached to him,” said Brannan. During the many hours they spent together, she had gotten to know him well. With his deep loyalty to family and friends, Douglas showed just as much concern for her welfare as she did for his. In fact, whenever she left the shelter for the day, Douglas would escort her to the parking lot and make sure she was safely on her way. 

Since his return to New Orleans, Brannan has remained in weekly contact with Douglas. When Hurricane Rita hit off the coast of Texas, Douglas called to see if she was all right.

“I’m so happy I could make a difference in this man’s life and grateful for how he touched my own,” she said. “I’ll never forget him.”

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