LOCAL HEEDS CALL TO ASSIST OTHERS.Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer After spending 10 years in a talent agency helping potential artists get discovered, Tom Busk busk intr.v. busked, busk·ing, busks To play music or perform entertainment in a public place, usually while soliciting money. said he felt the need to lend his hand to a different kind of needy. The Canyon Country man left the agency last summer to help victims of floods, fires and other disasters as part of the American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. Disaster Relief Team. ``If there is one thing I've learned is that if you are going to do something, you might as well do something that you can be proud of,'' Busk said from disaster headquarters in the Adirondacks of upstate New York Upstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area. It has a population of 7,121,911 out of New York State's total 18,976,457. Were it an independent state, it would be ranked 13th by population. where ice storms have wiped out power and communication lines causing chaos for thousands of residents. Busk is the disaster relief specialist in charge of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. and Burbank zones. ``Right now, I am faced with spending the next three to four weeks sleeping on a cot in the financial office of a local car dealership This article is about car dealerships. For the indie pop band, see Dealership (band). A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new cars and/or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or ,'' Busk said. ``But this is work that needs to be done,'' he said. While many watch news reports of the disasters on the East Coast and other areas around the country and world, Busk said it is difficult for him to follow broadcast and written accounts without wanting to spring into action. ``I've never felt that a person could see these kinds of things and not care about what is going on around them. ``It's difficult to see the disasters so I try not to watch the news or read the papers, I just wait for my next assignment,'' Busk said. Meanwhile back at home in mild Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , Busk's wife, Sherry, and their two kids, Heather, 12, and Terry, 7, are missing their No. 1 guy. ``It gets lonely without him and I know he gets lonely without us,'' Sherry Busk said. ``But the kids and I are very proud of him and we do make him check in with us,'' she said. Busk said things can get a little tough at times without his loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl and looks forward to coming home to his favorite meal: Chinese food. ``I know it puts a heavier burden on Sherry when I'm not there and I miss them. Sherry's been very supportive,'' he said. From sunrise to hours past sundown, Busk said his current task is to prepare and deliver food to the thousands in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of who were left without resources. ``We try (to) stabilize them, get them back on their feet a little and then we make way for (the Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical ), who gives them the financial aid they really need,'' Busk said. The desire to help others prompted Busk to take a $12,000 pay cut to dedicate time to his volunteer duties. ``I used to volunteer in my spare time to help the Red Cross,'' he said. ``But I felt this was something that I needed to do full time,'' Busk said. Thousands of disaster team members, paid and voluntary, throughout Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County have been assigned to catastrophes across the globe. Once they are trained, team members provide free help to victims of fires, storms, train derailments, floods, land slides and other disasters. Assistance ranges from immediate shelter to more long-term needs, such as clothing, food and medical help. Busk admitted he didn't know what to expect as a full-time Red Cross worker. Locally, he had volunteered in wildfire disasters, but that didn't compare to the ice storms that have gripped the Northeast. In upstate New York, up to 18 inches of snow has fallen, and about 62,800 customers remain without electrical power. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) Canyon Country resident Tom Busk is in upstate New York with the Red Cross helping victims cope with the ice storms. |
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