Last fall, several places dear to me got hit by natural disasters within weeks of each other. Texas by Hurricane Harvey. Florida by Hurricane Irma. Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. Mexico had a deadly earthquake. I wanted to help everywhere, but there were so many different funds, I didn’t know which to choose.
Then I saw a reminder for a social gathering involving the New York chapter of Team Rubicon. I knew exactly where to send my donation. Team Rubicon has been deploying volunteers—mostly military veterans—to provide aid after natural disasters ever since two Marines got frustrated watching news reports in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
They gathered a few other veterans, medical professionals and some supplies, then headed to Haiti to establish relief efforts in towns that bigger organizations hadn’t made it to yet. By the time I made my donation last fall, Team Rubicon had teams on the ground or on the way to every area that needed help.
Team Rubicon gives its veteran volunteers the sense of purpose and community we sometimes miss when we leave the military. It doesn’t wait until a disaster strikes. This April, I laced up my sneakers for its annual Run As One 5K, which brings together members of seven veterans organizations as well as civilians. I didn’t set any records, but I did make several new friends.
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