Volunteering vacation

Marisa O’Neil

Some people use their two weeks of vacation time to take relaxing

trips to exotic locales.

Costa Mesa resident Spencer Sausser, 32, will be passing out

blankets and water in the hurricane-ravaged South on his vacation.

The Costa Mesa Citizen Corps member is using his vacation time from

his job as a legal assistant to join thousands of Red Cross

volunteers in relief efforts for the next two weeks.

“You see this stuff on the news -- hurricanes and natural

disasters -- and you hear about volunteers that go to help, but I’ve

never been in a position to do it [until now],” Sausser said. “I’m

looking to lend a helping hand to the people that are affected and

need help.”

Sausser leaves today for Orlando, where Red Cross officials will

assign him to an area in need of help after a series of four

hurricanes -- including Frances and Ivan -- left thousands homeless.

Sausser will put to use his disaster-preparedness training.

He completed the Costa Mesa Fire Department Citizens Academy and

is a part of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team. In an

emergency, a city can activate its volunteer corps to help with basic

recovery efforts in their neighborhoods.

Sausser is also a volunteer firefighter for the Orange County Fire

Authority and hopes to become a firefighter.

Going to Florida will help those trying to recover, but will also

benefit Sausser and the city of Costa Mesa, said Cecilia Tapia,

director of disaster services at Whittier’s Rio Hondo chapter of the

Red Cross.

“We decided to send people who can benefit from the experience,”

Tapia said. “They’ll bring back this experience to the community and

be able to better help people there.”

The Rio Hondo chapter is sending a total of about 25 people for a

two-week stint in the South. A total of about 25,000 Red Cross

volunteers are in the area, she said.

Sausser will likely perform “mass care,” which means helping to

distribute supplies to hurricane victims and volunteers, helping to

feed people and provide transportation, Tapia said.

“Right now they don’t have a lot of the things we take for

granted,” Sausser said of the victims. “They don’t have water, don’t

have electricity, they’re probably tired and frustrated. I want to do

anything I can to help.”

His good attitude and skills will represent the Costa Mesa Citizen

Corps very well, said Cheryl Willis, fire protection specialist for

the Costa Mesa Fire Department.

“An experience like that can really change your life,” Willis

said.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].