Sharing a Common Humanity

Diana Noble remembers watching the news after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and wishing she could do something - anything - to help.

Then, she remembers the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 and the strong desire she again felt to make a difference.

But both times, she didn't.

"Then Hurricane Katrina hit, and I thought, "Never again." Not on my watch," said Noble, a long time Aberdeen resident and a Red Cross volunteer. Noble was among the volunteers overseeing Toms River High School North's hurricane shelter.

Noble decided to join the Red Cross because of the training they could provide and the amount of resources they have access to, she said. Noble wanted to make sure that she would be called on to help people as much as possible.

Ever since Noble made her decision to volunteer, she has never looked back. This year alone, she has aided flood victims in North Dakota, displaced tenants in Lakewood after the roof of their apartment building was destroyed and, just recently, local residents fleeing Hurricane Irene.

At 7 a.m. the morning before Hurricane Irene was predicted to come sweeping through Monmouth County, many residents were boarding up windows and preparing to evacuate or stocking their shelves with non-perishable food items. Noble, on the other hand, was in Toms River setting up a shelter for those displaced by the storm.

As the shelter manager, Noble was responsible for coordinating the transformation of a sports arena into a shelter with dorm areas, kitchen space and a smooth registration process. Once she was done there, she went to . It may sound like a daunting task to some, but Noble takes it on with a smile.

"It makes me feel really good to know that I am doing something that I am trained to do. It's relevant and effective and actually helping people," she said.

Although Noble's passion is to help people, her favorite aspect of volunteering for the Red Cross is all of the different people she has the chance to meet around the country.

"I really enjoy meeting people from different parts of the United States. Even in the worst times, I always find we have a common humanity and a shared culture."