“Find solutions, not problems.” It’s one of our core values here at Altera Digital Health. In other words, we want our associates to feel empowered to act whenever they see a problem and we value those that actively seek solutions. This sentiment is so important to us, that we encourage our associates to apply it to every aspect of their lives. Recently, one of our associates did just that when his community in eastern Kentucky was destroyed by historic flooding.

Dan Walker is a Solutions Architect at Altera Digital Health, and I recently had the opportunity to speak with him about his volunteering experience in the wake of these devastating floods.

CR: First off, your actions went above and beyond during such harrowing times. How close are you to the communities affected by the flood?

DW: I live in one of the five counties that were hit the hardest. I’m fortunate because I live on high ground, but I have neighbors who had to be evacuated and there are a lot of communities here that were basically wiped off the map.

CR: Can you please tell us more about what caused you to volunteer to help out those affected?

DW: The morning after the storm, I was sitting in my home and soon, it overtook me. I knew I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. So, I jumped in my vehicle and drove to one of the many local relief hubs in my town to see how I could help.

CR: What was your volunteering experience like?

DW: I spent three days unloading supplies from many organizations like FEMA, the Red Cross, some local businesses, even some out-of-state organizations. After that, I volunteered to work in the groups that were delivering supplies directly to the communities that needed it. Some of these places were still cut off from town by the flood waters, so the people that lived there were relying on volunteers to bring them supplies. There were so many people in need that for a period, we were handing out forty cases of water in an hour. So, as you can imagine, we were making multiple trips a day.

CR: Given the difficult circumstances, as you reflect on the total experience, what the most memorable thing that happened while you were volunteering?

DW: I was working with someone from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and we needed to offload 6,000 gallons of drinking water that had been donated by a local distillery. But we didn’t have the right hose, so the water was stuck in the tank. We had to figure out a solution using a garden hose and duct tape! That was very memorable.

CR: I speak on behalf of everyone at Altera when I say, thank you for your efforts in helping out those who needed it most. You exemplify many of our core values. Any last thoughts about your experience?

DW: Honestly, I didn’t do this for any sort of recognition. I just felt the need to get out there and do something, so I did what I could. So many others have done so much more. My son is in the National Guard, and he’s been part of search and recovery efforts. There were people that jumped in their personal boats to be part of the initial rescue efforts. This whole thing has been a community effort and I just played a small part.

If you would like to help those affected by the floods, you can donate to our fundraiser benefitting the Red Cross here: https://allscripts.benevity.org/community/fundraiser/9524