Easing tornado trauma by listening

Catherine Zylstra is in Oklahoma. She isn’t dishing up soup, handing out supplies, or building a house.

She is there to listen.

“It’s a ministry of presence,” said Zylstra, who lives in Monroe. “There’s a very strong need — when there’s a loss of life, property, and many other losses — to provide a compassionate presence. When people are in the midst of total chaos, they need to feel they’re not walking alone.”

Zylstra, 57, is the first volunteer from the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross to be sent to help since a tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., on May 20.

She left Thursday for a two-week deployment as part of the Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care program. A board certified chaplain who has worked in hospitals, she has experience helping people affected by trauma and grief.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“They’re there to listen and be a support,” said Kristi Myers, chief development officer of the Red Cross Snohomish County chapter. Spiritual care has been a Red Cross mission for some time. “It’s just not a program a lot of people know about,” Myers said. “I think it’s almost as important as feeding people or handing out supplies.”

Physical needs are sometimes more easily addressed than a disaster’s intangible effects. Even without loss of human life, “people still have grief,” Myers said. “Sometimes pets are involved.”

When a home is destroyed, it’s more than losing a roof over one’s head. Gone are pictures, keepsakes, all the cherished talismans of memory.

In Boston, an interfaith chaplain with the Red Cross accompanied victims of the marathon bombings and their families when they recently returned to that crime scene, Myers said.

Zylstra talked Thursday about her background and the Red Cross effort. She is certified as a chaplain by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. That required her to have a master’s degree in theological studies and additional clinical pastoral education. She was trained for the Red Cross spiritual work at a recent conference in Pittsburgh.

She learned about the Red Cross spiritual care program from Tim Serban, former director of mission integration and spiritual care at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. Serban, a longtime volunteer with the Red Cross here, is now chief mission integration officer with Providence Health &Services in Portland, Ore.

Zylstra made clear that her Red Cross role is not a religious one. She is a faithful Roman Catholic who worships at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, but that’s not what she will share in Oklahoma.

“When I’m representing the Red Cross, I’m not representing any faith or denomination,” she said. “People may not necessarily believe in God like I do. Spirituality is what gives you meaning and value in your life, who you are as a human being, and your relationships with yourself and others. That may include religion for some people.

“We really aren’t about religion. We are there to support people,” she said.

Sadly, supporting people after a disaster can include coordinating memorial services or helping in other ways people who have lost a loved one.

“I’ve seen a lot of death,” Zylstra said. “As chaplains we have been trained for that. It’s difficult in our culture. The grief process takes awhile. Each loss is individual.”

Her job, when she hears stories of shock, anger and tragedy, will not be to diagnose or treat, as mental health professionals are trained to do. Her job in Oklahoma will be to listen.

“I’m a safe person to lean on — emotional safety. We are listeners primarily,” Zylstra said. “Chaplains, we don’t say a whole lot.”

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

A person walks past Laura Haddad’s “Cloud” sculpture before boarding a Link car on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in SeaTac, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sound Transit seeks input on Everett bike, pedestrian improvements

The transit agency is looking for feedback about infrastructure improvements around new light rail stations.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Dani Mundell, the athletic director at Everett Public Schools, at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett Public Schools to launch girls flag football as varsity sport

The first season will take place in the 2025-26 school year during the winter.

Clothing Optional performs at the Fisherman's Village Music Festival on Thursday, May 15 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett gets its fill of music at Fisherman’s Village

The annual downtown music festival began Thursday and will continue until the early hours of Sunday.

Seen here are the blue pens Gov. Bob Ferguson uses to sign bills. Companies and other interest groups are hoping he’ll opt for red veto ink on a range of tax bills. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Tesla, Netflix, Philip Morris among those pushing WA governor for tax vetoes

Gov. Bob Ferguson is getting lots of requests to reject new taxes ahead of a Tuesday deadline for him to act on bills.

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard
A new law in Washington will assure students are offered special education services until they are 22. State Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, a special education teacher, was the sponsor. He spoke of the need for increased funding and support for public schools at a February rally of educators, parents and students at the Washington state Capitol.
Washington will offer special education to students longer under new law

A new law triggered by a lawsuit will ensure public school students… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

The Daily Herald relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in