In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Kay declared her chapter would become a leader in community preparedness and resilience building
“When I think back on Hurricane Katrina, I think of the resilience of people, how the landscape changed for all people affected and for the Red Cross. Red Cross demonstrated its ability to change and adapt. I also think of the stories of my staff, and how many of them had to work in a challenging environment that they were not trained for.”
– Kay Wilkins, Former CEO for the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross
Kay Wilkins
In 2011 Kay Wilkins was selected for President Barack Obama's "Champions of Change" program that honored everyday Americans doing extraordinary work to make a difference in their communities. Kay was the CEO for the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross when Hurricane Katrina, and resulting rains and levee breaks, flooded 80% of New Orleans. She worked for the American Red Cross for 45 years, before retiring last February.
During the response and recovery phases of Hurricane Katrina, Kay and her team worked tirelessly to meet the needs of her community, but at a time when others took only lessons about organizational response from Katrina, she declared that her chapter would become a leader in community preparedness and resilience building.
The Pillowcase Project
Programs like “The Pillowcase Project” to help kids prepare for evacuation and “Senior Preparedness Packs” to help seniors be ready originated under Kay’s direction. The Pillowcase Project became a nationwide model for preparedness.
Following the hurricane, Red Cross was able to hire art therapists and teachers who were out of work due to the hurricane. The Pillowcase Program actually sprung out of a preparedness program piloted to help local college kids pack what they needed for evacuations into their pillowcases. The program was next tailored for children in grades 1 through 3, teaching them what to do if they were scared in a disaster. It involved lessons in disaster preparedness, what to take with you in your pillowcase during an evacuation, and teachers could send preparedness information for their families home with the children. The program evolved nationwide, with modules for earthquakes, fires, and other disasters for children K-3 then later K-6.
The resilience of people
When asked what she remembers first when thinking back on the Katrina response, Kay said, “I think of the resilience of people, how the landscape changed for all people affected and for the Red Cross. Red Cross demonstrated its ability to change and adapt. I also think of the stories of my staff, and how many of them had to work in a challenging environment that they were not trained for.”
“We had AmeriCorps workers who only trained for three weeks then deployed, and they did Herculean things,” she remembered. “One in her late teens was managing a shelter when supplies were running out. She had to ration food and water. For example, one cup had a line drawn on it to the level that it could be filled for each person. She had to adapt and persevere. I still think of her today.”
“I also remember the faces of my chapter’s Board of Directors,” said Kay. “We’d meet in Baton Rouge, since people were scattered. We’d come together to identify unmet needs, and whichever Board member could best help, would step up and make the connections we needed…
I also remember a particular conversation with Becky McCorry who had come to help from National Headquarters. We were discussing how to best help our staff face the next day. She said, ‘Focus on each hour, what you have to do that hour.’ I still think about her counsel. She was a much-needed advocate and mentor to me at that time.”
"Today there is more of an intentional desire to support staff"
Kay sees great progress in how the American Red Cross cares for its own disaster workforce now. “Katrina served as a starting point for conversation about how we take care of others, but not our own staff. We needed to not only see how workers were physically but also mentally. We also needed to be prepared to backfill for staff who were affected by a disaster directly.”
“Today there is more of an intentional desire to support staff,” she said. “I think Katrina, to a degree, overshadows Hurricane Ida, which was also devastating to so many. Our home was 87% destroyed by Ida, and Red Cross sent representatives to come check on me personally at my house every few days. They were great.”
“If we don’t take care of our employees and volunteers, we can’t shine as bright.”
Diligence and commitment
Kay started with Red Cross as a volunteer lifeguard at Auburn University. In addition to leading the Southeast Louisiana Chapter after Hurricane Katrina, she also played a big role in Georgia as interim CEO and is the retired director of External Relations for the Southeast and Caribbean Division American Red Cross. and volunteers with the Red Cross. She especially likes her role as an executive sponsor (mentor) in the Caribbean. Kay still lives in New Orleans, has three kids and three grandchildren.
Her diligence and commitment to disaster survivors, her staff and the future of preparedness will forever be remembered by many a Red Crosser. When Kay retired, her staff in Georgia wrote, “Kay’s countless hugs, empathetic ear and kind heart have left a lasting impression on all of us. We are forever grateful.”
