I joined Team Rubicon in 2012 and did my first deployment to New York immediately following Hurricane Sandy. It was a fairly new organization at the time but it was very clear to me that they were different. Team Rubicon would be very impressive if all they did was disaster work but that's only half the story. Not only do they respond to disasters large and small, and are also well known for their incredible work ethic, they are equally dedicated to taking care of our country’s veterans. There are a lot of resources out there for those that have served-- but providing challenging and truly meaningful work serves a very unique role that largely goes unfulfilled for many of our vets. Team Rubicon, however, fills that void. It provides a noble cause and a way to give back; for many, it has pulled them back from a very dark place from which far too many never return.
Today, I am in Texas with these same unique Team Rubicon volunteers who responded to the call to help almost 10,000 Afghan refugees who literally have nothing. Everyone is working as hard as they possibly can to collect, sort and distribute the most basic items like diapers, shoes, baby bottles, formula, and childrens toys. Most are averaging 10 miles of walking within a warehouse each day while drenched in sweat, and they have to be convinced to take breaks because everyone knows that our time here is limited. A couple times a day we are told about the most tragic stories that stop us in our tracks and bring the most stoic and battle hardened individuals to tears.
Team Rubicon has volunteers running this same type of operation at multiple military bases with simultaneous operations in Louisiana and Mississippi for Hurricane Ida, in Haiti for the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake, assisting at vaccination sites and many more.
By nature, I am not a fundraiser and no one at Team Rubicon asked me to do this. I will continue to volunteer my time and skills and, given the enormous outreach of people that want to know what they can do, I was compelled to help create that opportunity. If you are able to participate at any level please know that your money is going to an incredible cause, and I am personally, extremely grateful.