Serving Together: Volunteer Sisters Talk Disaster Response
In 2023 alone, Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team has already mobilized more than 600 volunteers who have worked more than 3,000 hours. This week, for Volunteer Appreciation Week, Convoy is highlighting two long-time volunteers.
Sisters Who Volunteer Together, Stay Together
Kris and Robin are sisters who grew up in Wisconsin. They work together and they serve together. And together, in 2018, they decided to become Lead Volunteers with Convoy’s Disaster Services team. They’ve deployed every year since then.
In 2017, the sisters were watching Hurricane Harvey unfold and the disaster it caused. After looking for places to donate online and finding Convoy of Hope’s website, they saw a button to volunteer. Later, they got a call that training was taking place.
Their first response to Hurricane Florence in North Carolina was nerve-wracking.
“I was kind of nervous before heading out. I wondered, would I remember my training?” said Kris Logemann. “But the staff does such a great job. In everything, it felt like [I] had the support [I] needed.”
“Obviously we loved it because we came back,” added Kris.
Robin Melcher remembers the first few deployments she and her sister went on, and the unique experiences that came with it all. “We were helping a woman who had just lost her husband,” said Kris. “We were taking things out of her house, but also holding her hand and loving on her. The ability to do that … it’s just really cool to know that’s what Convoy is all about.”
A Step Beyond Giving
Being able to work together has allowed Kris and Robin both a “buddy system” and a system of emotional support. Robin is a former first responder and Kris is a former EMT. They’ve seen hard things and they know how to process at the end of the day.
“At night, we always do a debriefing, both with the Disaster Services team and each other,” said Robin. “That’s one of the things I value about deploying with Kris — at the end of the day, we pray for each other and for survivors.”
Kris and Robin recommend volunteering with Convoy of Hope for anyone who wants to be “the hands and feet” in disaster response.
“It’s a step beyond just giving. It’s something tangible — to bring hope when it seems like such a hopeless situation,” said Robin. “It’s special how Convoy takes care of us and each other.
Convoy of Hope continues to grow its Lead Volunteer program and has multiple trainings planned for 2023. To start your volunteer journey, click here.
