Shared by permission – The Laclede Record
Fines Massey, Editor of Laclede County Record
ed****@la***********.com
November 3. 2021
A Lebanon man is among the many helping with the hurricane disaster recovery in Louisiana.
“My job is to set up internet connectivity using a truck mounted satellite dish as well as cellular internet,” Sewell said.
David Sewell of Lebanon will be coming home soon after a long stint in Louisiana helping those affected by recent hurricanes Ida and Nicholas. Sewell has been volunteering with IEEE-USA MOVE, a community outreach program that has partnered up with the American Red Cross. Sewell is part of a team that is traveling from town to town each day in emergency response communication trucks. The trucks help make sure people stay connected in the aftermath of disasters by providing phone charging, wi-fi access and lighting.
Sewell has been volunteering for many years. He first volunteered with the Red Cross in 1986. He now serves as the Disaster Services Technology Chief for the American Red Cross. He is also a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross IT and Telecom roster. About thee years ago he became the training lead for IEEE MOVE.
“I volunteer because I get to live of myself to something bigger, and I get so much personal satisfaction that I feel I get more back than I ever give,” Sewell said.
He summed up his motivation to volunteer through a quote by Quaker missionary Etienne de Grellet, who said, “I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Sewell encourages people to volunteer. To volunteer with the Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer. More information about helping with IEEE MOVE can be found at move.ieeeusa.org.