evacuteer video story #1: Cambria Martinelli

evacuteer story #1: Cambria from evacuteer.org on Vimeo.

Hurricane Gustav Evacuation
Union Passenger Terminal
1001 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, La.

When daylight broke on the second day of evacuation, Cambria Martinelli had already been up for two hours. Her organization, Rebuilding Together, briefed about their roles in the assisted evacuation plan at 5am.

When she arrived, Martinelli and her team were greeted and trained by a National Guard Lieutenant Colonel. Their job: to make sure everyone received an identification band.

It was two mornings after Hurricane Katrina’s third anniversary. The day before, 11,000 nervous/scared/unwitting evacuees took state-sponsored buses to shelters on the first day of activation for the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP).

Hurricane Gustav was due in 24 hours.

Martinelli, originally from Gordon, Mass., was one of 40 members Rebuilding Together  staffers and AmeriCorps volunteers who helped usher the remaining 9,000 New Orleanians to safety via CAEP.

“I am an evacuteer because I came to this city to serve in whatever way I possibly can, whether that’s rebuilding houses or helping her citizens safely leave and re-enter the city.”

Other than affixing id bracelets, Martinelli and fellow Rebuilding Together members passed out water, moved baggage, pushed wheelchairs and made sure the terminal looked as good when they left as it had when they arrived.

In 2009, Martinelli will be a team leader for Rebuilding Together if another mandatory evacuation is called. Rebuilding Together has pledged 40 evacuteers in 2009 and Martinelli’s boss, Kristin Palmer sits on evacuteer.org’s Board of Directors.

To find out more about Rebuilding Together visit: www.rtno.org