Carol Dawson

After volunteering at a Soup Kitchen in Washington which helped homeless women, Carol Dawson came back to little Hopkinton, New Hampshire. It was 2005, and Mississippi, New Orleans, and Alabama were all unfortunately struck by Hurricane Katrina and needed as much help as they could get. Being the great nation we are, people hopped in to volunteer from all over the US. One of those people being my hero, Carol Dawson.

To go to Biloxi, Mississippi involved a whole lot of fundraising. To help, Carol, along with other members of her church group, did some things that weren't so glamorous like cleaning a local racecar track stands.... right after a race. In addition, they organized a local Mardi Gras party, a church dinner, silent auctions, chicken barbecue, dancing and singing parties, local concerts. THAT'S A LOT OF WORK... especially considering they would only be in Biloxi for one week.

When Carol got down to Mississippi there was a bundle of jobs that she did. She volunteered in homeless shelters and food shelves. She also worked on building new roofs, painting, and putting walls up. Carol says that biggest challenge for her was being on a ladder. She "clung" onto the closest person to her because of her fear of heights.

"Every time I went to Biloxi, I tried to learn something new," Carol said. I think this why Carol is such an amazing person because she is really interested in learning as much as she can.

Carol felt really bad the first time she went down because of all the damage and the somber looks on the faces of the people. At first, first time the devastation was all over the news, but by the third time she went, it was no longer on the news. The people felt forgotten. Carol talked to the locals and still recalls to this day how they broke down when her group first arrived to help. Carol says this makes her feel real happy about helping out and that's what keeps her going back to Biloxi every year.

The first time Carol went down to Mississippi it was eight months after the storm, and eight years later they're still rebuilding in Mississippi. I've known Carol over the years and love to be around her, but hearing this made me feel lucky to know someone who committed her time to helping even when others forgot.

My favorite quote from Carol is: "When something bad happens we all chip in and help, and that is why we are called the "United States"