CLEARWATER, Fla. — Frank Hall will be having Christmas dinner Wednesday night with his wife.
It's four days late because Hall returned Monday evening from Kentucky, where he was volunteering with the American Red Cross to help people impacted by the ferocious tornadoes.
Hall talked to us from his couch Wednesday afternoon. He was admittedly exhausted and drained but also "spiritually nourished", as he put it.
More than two weeks ago, Hall saw the damage in the Mayfield, Kentucky area on the news and he didn't hesitate to go and help. The Clearwater retiree has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for ten years and been sent to about 25 different deployments.
He said this was one of the worst scenes he's encountered.
"Each time still, you’re overwhelmed a little bit by just the sheer devastation that you’re witnessing," said Hall who opted to miss Christmas with his wife and take on the risk associated with the fast-spreading omicron variant when he volunteered to help in Kentucky earlier this month.
Hall said he worked 12- to 14-hour days for two weeks straight and handled a lot of logistics: purchasing food, supplies, bedding, etc. and then figuring out how to distribute the goods to shelters and other areas of need.
Despite skipping Christmas in sunny Clearwater, Hall said he was inspired by fellow volunteers and the positivity of the people they were serving.
"It was all about the mission and helping people and digging deep into the true meaning of Christmas," said Hall.
He returned home Monday evening, bought a turkey Tuesday, and will have Christmas dinner with his wife Wednesday night on Dec. 29.
Hall said it usually takes at least a week for him to recover from the physical and emotional exhaustion but when the next disaster calls, he'll be there.
"You see it on TV and it’s like, I got to go help, it’s just the way it is."