At age 20, fresh out of training with AmeriCorps NCCC, Devin Mott helped set up two disaster relief warehouses in response to devastating floods in Louisiana and tornadoes in Georgia.

· He shares what it was like being dispatched overnight to disaster zones on just hours’ notice and waking up to scenes of devastation

· Mucking and gutting houses overrun with mold in Louisiana and clearing tornado debris in Georgia

· Sleeping on cots in crowded shelters and showering in trailers

· And learning how to operate a forklift and run security to keep relief supplies flowing.

Devin also tells us why it’s important to be kind to volunteers during any crisis, who are undergoing a tremendous amount of stress to help the rest of us; why you should carefully consider what sorts of goods you donate in the aftermath of a disaster; and what it means to rise to the occasion, put our own discomfort aside, and step in to help others if we can.

“It’s a stressful work environment . . . but without a question I would do it again, because someone needs to do it. Someone needs to be the guy that says, ‘Hey, I got the time. Hey, I got the ability to make other people's lives a little easier.”

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Show notes:

Download the episode on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Anchor.com

For more info on AmeriCorps NCCC: www.nationalservice.gov

For more info on the Adventist Community Services Disaster Relief team and disaster warehousing: http://www.communityservices.org/disaster-response