Flood victim from Lawrence with her
belongings in trash bags outside the
Methuen High Red Cross Shelter

Flood victims from Lawrence and Methuen who are staying at the Methuen High School Red Cross Shelter were informed this morning that they were being thrown out of the shelter as of 3pm even though most of them had no place to stay.

Eviction signs were put up on the walls of the gymnasium by the Red Cross informing them that they had to be out of building by 3pm, causing the flood victims to panic. According to flood victims at the shelter, their personal belongings were placed in boxes and plastic bags and moved to the back doors of the facility in an attempt to, literally push people out the door.  

Lawrence Planning Director Michael Sweeney who is the disaster relief coordinator for the City of Lawrence said he had been communicating with the Red Cross over the past few days and was very disturbed by the lack of cooperation he and they had received by Red Cross officials.

“It has been horrible, every time I talk to someone who tells me they are in charge I start to explain the dire need of these victims and as soon as I ask them to make a command decision I am told I have to talk to someone else. IT is no wonder there were so many problems in New Orleans. This is the problem, the Red Cross.”  

Yesterday the Red Cross served cake to the displaced flood victims that said “GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK” indicating that they were leaving despite the fact that there were still more thsan 50 people who had no place to go.  

One Red Cross official we spoke with said yesterday that Mayor Billy Manzi and the principal of the high school wanted them out by today and that their intention was to do so.  

But Mayor Manzi disputed the accusation saying it was his understanding that the Red Cross was going to stay until every flood victim had a place to stay.  

The situation reached crisis proportions at 10am today when Sweeney, Personnel Director Frank Bonet, State Representative Willie Lantigua, Mayor Manzi and Police Chief Solomon had to go down to the High School to prevent the Red Cross from throwing anyone out of the shelter.  

(continued below)

That’s when Red Cross Officials began back peddling, assuring officials that nobody was going to be thrown out, and rushing to the walls of the gym to take down the signs demanding that everyone leave by 3pm.   

“It has been a total nightmare over there at that shelter,” Sweeney said. “We got a call from some of the Lawrence people living in that shelter, crying, saying they were being thrown out on the street this morning with no place to go. Last week this shelter turned away a blind man because they said he had special needs and they could not accommodate him.”  

For the last ten days more than 63 people have been staying at Methuen High waiting for the Red Cross to find them an alternate place to live. But it wasn’t until Tuesday evening (05/23) that Lawrence Officials learned that the Red Cross was not, and does not by policy, help flood victims find a place to live.  

According to Red Cross Spokesperson Gorge Drumbor, The Red Cross provides first and last month’s rent as well as a security deposit, but the victims themselves are responsible for calling landlords and finding a place to go.

“We only facilitate here,” Drumbor said. “We can put victims in touch with other agencies that can help them find placement but we do not do that.  

That would have been a pretty good thing to tell us ten days ago,” Sweeney replied.   Asked why a blind man was turned away last week when there was clearly plenty of room at the shelter for him, Drumbor said that he did not know the specifics of the incident but that it was his understanding that someone from the Red Cross was trying to find another shelter that could accommodate his needs.  

Apparently the Red Cross does not help individuals with special needs.  

Drumbor also denied that anyone was being thrown out of the shelter, "it was our internal target to have these people out of the shelter and placed by today. We never told them they had leave and we would not have thrown them out.”

Asked why signs were posted informing people they had to leave by 3pm, Drumbor said he didn't have an answer.

“We were under the impression that the Red Cross was making phone calls to help these poor people get out of the shelter and into a temporary or permanent place to live,” Sweeney said.

"Not only did they turn away a man who is blind and has no special needs other than he can’t see, but they didn’t bother to tell us that nobody has been working on placing these people for the last ten days.”   “How are people with no phones and no transportation suppose to call landlords, find a place to stay, get a letter from the landlord so they can get the Red Cross vouchers for the rent and then bring it back here to the shelter? It’s total insanity.”   Sweeney said that the city of Lawrence has tasked people to make phone calls today to try and find placement for people.  

Two flood victims from Holly Street in Lawrence said that they were sick over the prospect of being thrown out of the shelter. “First of all, they put up signs saying we had to be out, and then we were told they were going to lock the doors at three o’clock,” said Rocio Mercado.

“This is all because of red tape,” Jessie Mercado added. “It’s all about the policies and the politics. We just need a place to stay and we have no way to get around.”  

One flood victim who did not want to be named said that things at the shelter were going “OK” until “the local people were no longer in charge. As soon as the people from out of state came in and took over everything changed.”  

Both Rocio and Jessie Mercado said that they were “very grateful to the Mayor of Methuen and the people of Methuen” for housing them at the high school.  

“We heard that the mayor is getting blamed and that’s not right, we are not even from Methuen and they have done so much for us,” Rocio said.

“I want to make sure the Methuen people know that we are grateful and nobody here blames them for what is happening.”  

Methuen Mayor Manzi said that he, along with Sweeney, were going to personally make sure nobody is thrown out of the shelter and that “they can stay there as long as they need to.”  

State Representative Willie Lantigua tried to mediate between the different officials and the flood victims, some of whom did not speak English. Lantigua announced to the flood victims that they would be permitted to stay, and assured them that the situation was now under control. Red Cross officials, on the other hand, tried to spin the story telling them it was “all a miscommunication, adding that they were happy to stay and be of help.  

Officials would not say how much money the Red Cross has made on the Flood that affected most of the Merrimack Valley more than ten days ago.  

Contact us