During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Manville was transformed into an island by rising flood waters. Marilynn Fiure, a resident of Manville, and an active Red Cross volunteer with the Greater Somerset County Chapter, received a call that help was needed in sheltering residents. Marilynn had taken various disaster training courses at the chapter which gave her the knowledge needed to feed and shelter hundreds of families affected by the disaster. She worked along side many Manville residents who came out to help their neighbors. One of those residents was Marilynn’s husband Michael. Since that time, they have continued to be active disaster volunteers for the chapter answering the call in 2006 help people affected by the Delaware floods.

In April 2007, they took a lead role in response to the nor’easter flooding by setting up and managing a Red Cross shelter at the VFW of Manville. For nine days, Marilynn and her crew fed, sheltered and supported the displaced residents and were cutoff again by flood water. They relied on a small team, the many walk-in volunteers from the area and the Manville Police and OEM who provided support.

Between major disasters, Marilynn is a Disaster Action Team Leader. Approximately every six weeks, Marilynn and her team of five volunteers are on call for two weeks to respond to emergencies in the community like house fires. Along with her husband, they also are part of the day time disaster response team.

Michael and Marilynn find great satisfaction in knowing that they can make a difference in someone else’s life during difficult times. They are committed to their work, “To us it is fulfilling knowing that we can help those whose lives have been disrupted by a disaster. The more people who become involved, the easier it is to assist our neighbors in their time of need.”