To Volunteer on Thanksgiving, It’s Chainsaws Over Forks

Nine Team Rubicon volunteers on why they spend their holidays doing disaster relief—and how they give thanks while in the grey.

Aniek Bradley

A regular Greyshirt who has deployed six times with Team Rubicon to date, Aniek Bradley decided to set down the gravy boat on Thanksgiving of 2020 and stand up with Team Rubicon, instead. Bradley served on Damn the Torpedoes, Team Rubicon’s response to Hurricane Sally in the Gulf Coast.

“I normally visit family for Thanksgiving, but due to COVID, that was not an option last year. So, for me, it was a no-brainer: The best way to give thanks for all the blessings I have was to give back. I was deployed to Alabama, the last week of the op, and we had an amazing group and the best treatment ever—including an amazing dinner from the church we stayed at. I can't wait to be able to deploy again.”

Katie Camerlengo

The first time Katie Camerlengo deployed on an operation was over Thanksgiving in 2020, when she volunteered in Lake Charles, LA, in response to Hurricane Laura. Now, she hopes to make it a tradition.

“I volunteer to deploy on Thanksgiving because there are so many people that need and appreciate the assistance, and what a perfect time to do it when we are all a bit more aware of being thankful. 

The best thing about giving thanks in grey is not only the appreciation by those who we are helping but also the bond you form with complete strangers.”

Kimberly Carmody

With more than a dozen operations under her belt, Kimberly Carmody is no stranger to deploying. She’s even spent two Thanksgivings in the grey, including last year when she  spent her turkey day volunteering with Team Rubicon in Honduras .

“I deploy on Thanksgiving because of Thanks and Giving: I can think of no better way to be thankful than by giving to others in need.

The best thing about giving thanks in grey is ending a day gathered around the table with my fellow Greyshirts, whether it be turkey, pizza, or baleadas, and being able to share the mission of Team Rubicon with my family and friends.”

Aaron Coulombe

In 2020, Aaron Coulombe was in his junior year at Bradley University in Peoria, IL, working on his B.S. in Nursing. Instead of heading home for the holiday, he decided to deploy to Lake Charles, LA, and spend his break helping homeowners clean up after Hurricane Laura. 

That a college kid would volunteer to go to a disaster zone during the one break they had that semester may not have made much sense to one of Coulombe’s professors, but it made an indelible mark on the young Greyshirt.

“I deploy on Thanksgiving because, when I was a child, my family always volunteered at a food bank before Thanksgiving as our way to give back. 

I initially chose to deploy over Thanksgiving break because, as a college student, it was the only time that I could deploy, and I wanted to get back into the field as soon as possible. But, as I was telling my parents about my decision to deploy to Operation Crying Eagle, I realized the more significant impact serving over Thanksgiving has. I have a comfortable home and a warm Thanksgiving meal that I could have gone home to, but I wanted to put my skills to work and help those who were less fortunate during a time that everyone takes for granted."

"The most significant part about serving over Thanksgiving was the comradery; everyone was all in the same situation. Some of us deployed because it was our only time off and we wanted to serve. Others deployed because there wasn’t family to visit, but we all became one big family with a common goal of helping those less fortunate than us and who needed it the most. 

Of course, you receive a stark reminder about how fortunate you are on every deployment, but this reminder was more substantial than all the others because of the holiday; it truly put a new perspective on my life.”

Sandee “Stitches” Niles

A Greyshirt since 2017, Sandee “Stitches” Niles has deployed nearly a dozen times. Choosing to volunteer on Thanksgiving of 2020 was something different: it would mean putting her own recovery on hold, and serving her neighbors—literally.

“I deployed for Operation Damn the Torpedoes for Hurricane Sally last year. This hurricane also happens to have hit my home and did damage as well. I was struggling to get the repairs done and was pretty despondent over losing the work I had done on my house prior to the storm."

"Deploying to Damn the Torpedoes reminded me that other folks did not fare as well as I did. I had a whole new perspective and a lot to give thanks for. Also, by serving Baldwin County, Alabama, I was also literally serving my neighbors; giving back to my own community. I left the operation healed both inside and out.” 

Stitches also had the honor of deploying with her son, Grant LaBoda. While they were in different roles, they shared the ultimate comradery that goes with the mother-son bond, she says.

The best thing about giving thanks in grey for Stitches? “The complete selfless love, effort, and commitment that we have in assisting communities in need. When the soul grows weary and the daily news weighs heavily upon the heart, just deploy in grey. There is nothing better than that type of soul food to rejuvenate the spirit.”

One more thing: On the actual Thanksgiving holiday, Stitches was surprised to learn that a Team Rubicon sawyer team was dispatched to her home to help with a large oak tree that had fallen. 

“This defines the “Grey” and everything to be thankful for.”

Deric Shea

In 2020, Deric Shea decided to spend his Thanksgiving volunteering for Damn the Torpedoes. During the operation, he served remotely, providing Palantir Support to home repair teams in the field.

“I deploy on Thanksgiving because it's a great reminder of how much we are blessed with and how lucky we are.

The best thing about giving thanks in grey is that it gives me purpose. As an organization, we give to those in need with no expectation of anything in return. That really helps me fill a large hole that was left when I retired. It's really great to see how we, Team Rubicon, how we change people’s lives.”

Sydney Steel

Just weeks after leaving Operation Crying Eagle, Sydney Steel found herself on a plane headed to Honduras. She would spend her Thanksgiving volunteering with Team Rubicon’s WASH—water, sanitation, and hygiene—pilot program following Hurricanes Eta and Iota.

“I deploy on Thanksgiving because, at its core, this holiday is about being thankful for what we have, and to be able to help those who are struggling. For me, I am grateful to have the capability to effectively serve communities in the U.S. and abroad who have been impacted by natural disasters and pandemics. I am thankful that last year, our WASH team was able to improve people’s lives through the distribution of water tablets and filters at a time when potable water was scarce due to structural damage and geographic barriers from Hurricanes Eta and Iota."

"Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday in Honduras, but we celebrated in our own way. We first ate a big lunch of baleadas (a Honduran staple!), then we hiked with ADRA to a few communities outside of La Ceiba to survey locals regarding damage to their water sources and assess how our team could best organize the distribution of necessary filtration supplies. For Thanksgiving dinner, we ate french fries and these little skewers with cheese and olives on them while we sat around an outdoor picnic table together. I’d do it again any Thanksgiving.”

The best thing about giving thanks in grey, besides our mission and the difference our team was able to make in La Ceiba, was that our small team was a family while we were deployed. I still keep in touch regularly with the other Greyshirts from Honduras."

Alandra Swords

The first time Alandra Swords, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, deployed to volunteer on Thanksgiving—in 2020 on Operation Crying Eagle in Louisiana’s Calcasieu Parish—she got notification mid-operation that she’d been  selected as a Clay Hunt Fellow . That Thanksgiving deployment would not be her last: When record flooding hit Washington state earlier this month the Greyshirt stepped up. This week, she and 25 other Greyshirts can be found in Whatcom County responding to that flooding and mucking houses.

“I deploy on Thanksgiving because I have so much to be thankful for. I get to wake up every morning knowing that I am loved, supported, and cared about, with enough food and safe water to consume and a secure roof over my head that helps to keep me warm and dry. That isn’t the case for all of those we get the opportunity to serve.

The best thing about giving thanks in grey is that I get to serve alongside amazing Greyshirts with huge hearts that continue to give back to communities when they need it most, because disasters don’t observe holidays.

Being deployed during Thanksgiving on Operation Crying Eagle reminded me of Thanksgivings in the service, where it almost didn’t matter that you couldn’t be home or with your family at that moment, and were happy to break bread with those you served with. On a day intent on causing introspection for what you have and are thankful for, it makes you really truly thankful for the support you have in those working beside you, as well as those awaiting you back at home.”

Chuck Torzilli

For his first-ever deployment, Chuck Torzilli headed to the hurricane response in Lake Charles, LA, over Thanksgiving last year.

“I deployed on Thanksgiving because I was in the process of going through a divorce and my kids were not going to be home so this would help me take my mind off of not being there with them.

It was one of the best Thanksgiving's I have ever had. Working with all the Greyshirts during the day, and then having Sue and the parishioners from the church we were billeting in make us a full Thanksgiving meal was a truly rewarding experience.”

About Team Rubicon

 Team Rubicon  is a disaster relief organization founded by veterans that mobilizes veterans, first responders, and civilians to serve communities in need, leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises.

Written by Julie H. Case

Designed by Carly Reeves