2005 Year in Review

Jean Zinnen home and relaxing!

Jean volunteered two weeks of her life and travelled to the Gulf Coast with her immediate superior at the Whiteside County Health Department, Beth Fiorini and fellow worker Michelle Thompson. They returned on September 21 and Jean says many people have called and wished her with encouragement and thank yous for her efforts.During her two week stay in Baton Rouge thecity1.com had followed her on an almost daily routine with emails and phone calls.Jean brought back many more stories and a lot of pictures of her ordeal."On the final day we were in Louisiana we were able to travel downtown New Orleans" Jean stated. "You just cannot comprenend the smell as you approach the city, it is a mixture of raw sewage and garbage. We could smell it from as far out as five miles".

Jean and her two companions travelling downtown visited fireman's alley which is an area near the French Quarter where fire crews wait on the street with their fire vehicles for a call. "The biggest worry is the electricity coming back on" said Jean. "The fear is oil and gas leaks under water and when the water is pumped out and the power comes on if there is a spark that would be a problem". While there they visited and had their photos taken with a volunteer fireman group from Naperville, Illinois.

They were overwhelmed to see all the damage and surreal images such as boats lying in a street, no water but the craft would be tied up to a fence or phone pole. They drove by the Superdome but could not see inside as it was dark with no power but she remembers "it is just a mess".

Our readers will remember the long days at the shelter and Jean further clarified..."..we worked for 12 or 14 hours a day, taking only short breaks, the evacuees would just keep coming in and when they weren't we had those already in the shelter who needed daily assitance".Their group was led by various doctors who also had volunteered their time. "We really liked Dr. Dave DeCruz from Pittsburg, PA and I will never forget Dr. Charles Woodridge from Chicago. He was just fantastic with the kids, making them feel comfortable as he is a pediatrician and of all things also an ordained minister!"Along with the doctors she also had some rather interesting medical team members including "Dr. Leon". Seems that he is a forensic pathologist who claimed to have done the autopsy on Marilyn Monroe and worked on the Charles Manson murder case in Los Angelos.Their daily life included sometimes bizarre moments. "We would be working hard treating people and suddenly here comes Senator John Edwards or the chief clerk of Chicago whom I never did get her name" says Jean."and then all of a sudden we would receive a shipment of medical supplies and we would be hoping it was 2 inch syringes only to have 100 wheel chairs, which we never ever did use." "Then we would find ourselves being visited by Louis Farakhan and all the TV cameras".Never a dull moment to say the least. We asked Jean for some of the more fond memories. " I remember a little boy named Denzell, he might have been 11 years old and came in with no parents and a bad cut on his foot. We treated his wound for several days and then the Red Cross located his Mother and he was so happy. We had so many great volunteers helping and that made the hard work and tiredness all the more gratifying".

"Let me tell you about that real Southern hospitality!On the last Saturday the Southern Louisiana University was able to play their football game against, I believe a Texas team. All the Red Cross workers were given free passes to the game as well as to get into the tailgate party. We ate for free and I just loved the gumbo, jambalaya, catfish and chicken..it was all very spicy but was it delicious" said Jean."One day we had a jazz band just show up and start playing outside the clinic. Everyone just stopped what we were doing, we opened up a truck door in the building to allow them to walk in while playing. It was so spontaneous everyone formed like this huge conga line and we danced and sang and enjoyed that great new Orleans jazz...what a moment of relief".

"We were visited one day by a group of Scientology people who offered back massages and I decided to try it but never could understand why they did the massage technique with only a slight touch of their fingertips!"."I will always remember the National Guard as they helped keep order in our chaotic days. Some of them are so young but they were always ready to maintain control and that was so important to all of us".Jean showed us her honored badge labelled "Employee of the Month which was given to her by the National Guardsmen.Jean also wished all of the people who emailed her while in Baton Rouge all her best as those messages gave her the strength to continue each day.Asked if she would volunteer again for a return visit Jean said, " Yes, I would go back if needed but I sure need some rest!"

For photos of Jeans experience see Photo Album

by Bob Vaughn, theCity1.com
September 26, 2005