I was so proud of our Astellas team. There were many different levels of employees from across many functions, and it didn't matter what the Red Cross asked us to do – we did it as a team. If they asked us to clean up, we cleaned up. The hardest was the physical labor, and we really hit a wall on our fourth day. But we pushed through together. Being on a team really helped to get me through the week. This experience gave me insight into the enormous need that the Red Cross has for volunteers. It struck me to see how many of the volunteers are retirees.
They're carrying the ball, and it shouldn't all fall to them. I'd encourage people to volunteer. Rather than giving a cash donation, give a day of work. The Red Cross needs volunteers to help with the recovery work – it can be back breaking. If there's ever a natural disaster around where I live, I'll be willing to dive in. No task too small. Everyone should take a step out of their comfort zone and try something like this. It was an amazing experience.