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Background on Nancy Told By Dear Friend Sue Iverson
As the United States reeled from the news of Katrina, many among us felt a deep overwhelming need to assist in some way. This is the story of one, but also of all of us who have the courage to set out into the world following our hearts, and trusting the air bag.
I suppose that if you know Nancy you would also know that when Katrina hit, and with so many suffering, she would not be able to stand by and watch without doing something. Nancy is a 45 year old single parent of three, and a physical therapist in home health care. Even her career is one of caring for and assisting people.
When everyone was telling people not to come to New York on 9/11 to help, Nancy knew she had to go. So on 9/11 in her van by herself she drove to New York City with construction clothes and boots. Police directed her to the volunteer site; Doctors from Conn. got her on a bus down to the high school where everyone was told to get back on the bus for no one was coming out of the ruins alive. But she had her construction stuff and was ready for the long haul so she bypassed the bus and walked to the police line, and was admitted to the site. She hauled debris with the firemen, performed basic medical care and served food for 4 days. She slept on a park bench and days moved into nights for all worked around the clock. But whenever she sat on a bench or the ground, some firefighter would sit beside her and tell their stories, most of them in tears. She was there with caring love and support, but also very hard labor little very little sleep. This was an experience that strongly verified her upon her path of service to humanity.
Because of the circumstances of Nancy’s life at this time, she originally did not plan to make this trip. She has so much going on, it seemed an impossible task. Yet something made her feel torn in two. When she awakened Friday, September 2, crying, she knew she had to go. Once she made the decision, a sense of calm came over her, and she felt torn in two no longer. By 12pm that day, her cell phone was dead and her home phone had started ringing off the hook with offers of supplies and money. Since that day, a church in SD is sending gift cards, a church in Minn. is sending supplies and 30 homemade quilts, School craft College girls cross country team is making 50 fleece blankets for the children, Oakland University PT students are collecting basic supplies and food, strangers have dropped off supplies, Henry Ford Home Services, United Home Health Services and Oakwood Home Health employees are gathering supplies- and this is only the beginning of a list as long as your arm. Every day has brought new offers, new help and new miracles.
Things have snowballed to such a degree, Nancy has set up a charity, “Hands of Light in Action” to do this, as well as to continue doing the work long after Nancy returns home.
“It is unbelievable to me that one decision can lead to so many other decisions. Instead of just going down for a week, we are committed now to continuing with the help for months to come even after we return. My motto has always been --what goes around, comes around-- and that is the way I live my life. When you open your heart and give, you can touch so many people. The light gets passed around until it is a beacon....
This has been an amazing journey already---almost more than my heart can take in…”
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