As an example of the group's special brand of help, Hegazy recalls the time the Harvard volunteers responded to a fire on Christmas eve which left many families homeless, a large proportion of them recent Vietnamese immigrants. The situations that volunteers encounter run the gamut from tragic to farcical. Devlin remembers the night she and other team members spent an hour rounding up six cats belonging to a woman whose home had been destroyed by fire. The work can also be demanding, especially for students who are juggling exams, papers, and classwork. Some students value the experience of working for the Red Cross because of what it teaches them about other people.
Nothing is routine.
Everything has its own lesson to be learned. According to Liberty Black, head of the disaster relief program at the Red Cross's Massachusetts Bay chapter, Harvard students now play a major role in providing relief services in the Boston area. The Harvard group has become a significant part of our effort. Black's wish is being granted. Recently, students at Boston University have begun organizing a Red Cross volunteer group with help from the Harvard students.