Among the more than 9,000 people seeking refuge from Hurricane Dorian is Virginia Marciniak, a shelter resident at the St. Cloud Senior Center in Florida.
Virginia offers a hand and takes great delight in sharing that she grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and attended Clara Barton Elementary School (now Open School) that was named after the founder of the American Red Cross.
“Her picture was everywhere,” says Virginia. “They told us all about her … she was really a remarkable woman … I bet no one else in here can tell you a story like that,” she says with a smile.
Although she is residing in the shelter to escape the expected wind and water wrath of Hurricane Dorian, Virginia retains an insuppressible sense of humor.
“One of the nurses here, one named Jane, has a vest with ‘Nurse Jane’ on the back followed by ‘Disaster Relief.’ I think that could be a great TV serial,” she says with a chuckle.
The shelter at the senior center is for residents of Good Samaritan Retirement Village. It’s operated by the Osceola County Health Department and supported by the American Red Cross.
Story by Bob Wallace with photos by Daniel Cima for the American Red Cross. Click here for more stories and photos. Click here to make a financial gift helping people affected by Hurricane Dorian.
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