Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 January 2002 — Page 41

The Muncie Times, January 17, 2002, page 41

GROUND ZERO FROM PAGE 40 apology for the prejudice that the Red Cross was involved in. “It’s, in fact the only agency that does not qualify to receive government funding,” she said. “At the Pentagon, I was the only black mental health care worker. In New York, in the burn centers, there was no one. And as best as I know, from the time I spent in New York, there was only one other black woman who was a

mental health worker and I was the only psychologist and she was the only psychiatrist. I don’t remember even seeing one black nurse who was a Red Cross volunteer. I’m saying this because Red Cross has multiple functions. There are family services and nursing services that, as a people, we just refuse to take advantage of. There wasn’t a single black [Red Cross] social service worker or nurse volunteer, or any

other professional I noticed being there. There were people whu were paralyzed from falls. There are so many ripples from this that itis just incredible. And there are grown children who were caretakers of their parents at home when they left for work and who never returned. There were parents who went to work and left children in daycare or at home and never returned to their children. There were extended

family members and friends joining hearts and spirits with nuclear family members. Priests and ministers were also serving around the clock for spiritual preservation, as burn patients fought to resist physical infection and decay.” Digby-Berry recalled the many medical personnel who volunteered for what seemed unthinkable hours, staying on their feet, without a break. Physicians were

[pouring] in from all over the country to offer rel ief to others on their own time,i she said. Counseling means being accessible and the Lord does things to frelp you do whatever is needed. So sometimes when you think “I don’t wanna” or “I can’t” and God says, but you musti, thatis when you find yourself standing. When I think of all that I observed and had to do, I know my church was praying for me.

During disasters, Red Cross is there to help

The American Red was.The rest, as they say, Red Cross volunteer at a As African American and Dr. Hayes was one of Cross depends largely on is history. number of national History Month my instructors. I didn’t local volunteers. “I was so impressed disasters, including the approaches, Digby-Berry even know what a Ph.D. Administrative decisions, that I took out a personal TWA 800 crash in 1996 is asking blacks to stop was, but Dr. Hayes just however come from the membership, . . . and and the Pentagon and disenfranchising kept saying, “you can do state level as determined ended up being referred to World Trade Center themselves by keeping to this. I know you can do by the Washington do various services in the bombingsofSept.il. themselves when they this!” Headquarters. More area of mental health for “In addition she has could use their talents to Digby-Berry is a information can be many disasters, such as worked in the local help those who need to see member of the State retrieved at the Red Cross the local ones here in chapter of Red Cross successful blacks as role Licensing Board of web site, www.redcross. Muncie, such as responding to critical models. Psychologists. She is also org. drownings, fatal car incidents in Muncie and in Digby-Berry was bom served a mental health Dr. Ceola Digby-Berry crashes, electrocutions, Anderson. I am always in a ghetto in Buffalo, N.Y. specialist for the got involved with the Red sudden infant death glad to see her arrive on She was the first in her American Red Cross, Cross as a volunteer. Her syndrome, and also I was the scene, because she is family to graduate from providing counseling husband, Walter, joined in California in the mid- ready to work and her high school. Neither her services following natural her as many volunteers 1990s during the Los work is so effective. Over father nor mother, who catastrophes and other are married and often Angeles earthquake...” the years she has helped were working class people, large-scale traumatic operate as teams. The first One who can vouch for train our graduate had an opportunity to events, time she became aware of her time in California is students in counseling and earn a high school She is the wife of the magnitude of Red Dr. Robert (Bob) Hayes of presently is supervising, diploma. Walter Berry, former Cross services was when Ball State Universityis the internship of two of my She says her parents Muncie deputy mayor, she was trying to locate department of counseling masteris degree students. encouraged her and even She has a doctorate in four of her five children psychology and guidance I was pleased and when she had no interest counseling psychology who were in the military services. • proud to successfully in earning a Ph. D. she from Ball State and serves during the Gulf War. Ceola was in Los nominate her as one of was encouraged and on the board of Cardinal Within 2 hours of her Angeles weeks prior to my this years’ Teachers mentored by Hayes. Varsity Club, request, she knew where getting to the earthquake College Outstanding I was working on my She is a member of Union each of her children of 1994. She has been a Alumni. master’s degree overseas Missionary Baptist.

Congress passes environmental legislation to benefit blighted inner-city communities

Congressional approval of and White House support for legislation that will help dean up areas ofurban blight is being hailed by member of the African-American leadership network Project 21 as an environmental achievement that will benefit inner-city minorites. On December 20, both chambers of Congress passed legistation to raise annual government spending on the rehabitilitation of brownfields — abandoned and/or contaminated industrial sites

— and safeguard developers estimated 450,000 industrial from federal penalties related to and commercial sites that can the pollution caused by be designated as brownfields, previous owners. It is called It will also allocate $50 million ithe most important to State and local governments environmental action of the to improve clean-up efforts. 107th Congressi by the President Geroge W. Bush, Washington Post who campaigned on this issue . in 2000, is expected to sign the Environmental Protection bill. Agency Administrator Christine Ibdd Whitman said, Cleaning up previously ‘Brownfields is exactly the kind useleses areas that remained of program that can bring new vacant because developers were investment into a local econmy” afraid of inheriting the blame , for the enviommental mistakes The legislation will create made by past owners is a key a public record of the step to revitalizing inner-city

minority communities. Project 21 research associates Syd Gemstein points out in an upcoming “New Visions Commentary” that turning brownfields into viable and productive properties helps create jobs and returns tax dollars to cities. ‘Brownfield redevelopment projects sound almost too good to be true,” said Gernstein. After all, few commercial projects are capable of simultaneously providing the natural conservation that those with an eye to the enviromnet crave while providing the economic stimulation that those

with an eye on the bottom line believe is necessary The more legal and regulatory hurdles to brownfield redevelopment that continue to fell, the more cities will be able to enjoy these projects that benefit everyonei Project 21 has been a leading voice of the AfricanAmerican community since 1992 For more information contact David Almasi at (202) 371-1400 xl06 or Project [email protected], or visit Project 21’s website at httpy/www.project21 .org/P2 II ndex.html.