COOK- Like so many others, Missy Bakker Roach just wanted to help when she came to Cook last Friday. Little did she know that she would wind up helping others to help.
Roach said she mentioned to Cook City Administrator Theresa Martinson that there were a lot of people asking about volunteering. She said to give her a call if she could help. It wasn’t long before she got a call from Martinson.
“She called me and said, ‘Come back and can you help with volunteer organizing?’” Roach said. “I said sure. And I was lucky, because one of the next people who walked through the door was Alexa Scrivna…she has FEMA training and she’s a nurse.”
The pair worked with city departments to set up an incident command center at the Cook Fire Hall, then made connections with the Red Cross and the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, which promoted the volunteer endeavor through their Facebook page.
“We tried to get streamlined information out there for volunteers and set up some safety parameters,” Roach said. “We’re kind of learning as we go, but hopefully providing some structure and relief to residents.”
Volunteer registration got underway Saturday at 8 a.m., and by mid-morning Roach was pleased with the turnout.
“I know it’s early, but there has been an outpouring of donations,” she said. “People have been calling and texting wanting to sign up to help. It’s been really heartwarming. I’m really grateful for the community to be so helpful, and it’s far beyond just our little town. People are coming up from Virginia and Chisholm and Aurora. We’ve received quite a few inquiries for volunteering from the United Way. I’ve even had people from the (Twin) cities offering to come up and help. It’s been cool to see how much people really like and love the town of Cook.”
Managing the volunteer effort is important not only for safety, but to get the most out of the folks who sign up.
“Volunteers have to sign in and sign out because we have to ensure their safety,” Roach said. “We also have to do an assessment of the residents and their needs, and if they need volunteer help how to go about getting that for them.”
Roach said she had the sense that the community was on track in responding to the flood.
“I think this community is finding their feet and we’re putting one foot in front of the other,” Roach said. “Everybody is doing the best that they can and they are coordinating efforts the best they can. Everybody’s learning together and I hope that this spirit continues as we get further in the cleanup effort.”
For current information on the volunteer program, call the City of Cook at 218-666-2210 or Roach at 218-969-6872.