The Third Wave

Alison Thompson, a filmmaker living in New York City, was enjoying Christmas with her boyfriend in 2004 when she saw the news online: a 9.3-magnitude earthquake had struck near Indonesia, triggering a massive tsunami that hit much of southern Asia. As she watched the death toll climb, Thompson had one thought: she had to help. A few years earlier, she had spent eight months volunteering at Ground Zero after 9/11. She’d learned then that when disaster strikes, it’s not just the firemen and Red Cross who are needed — every single person can make a difference.

With $300 in cash and some basic medical supplies, Thompson headed to Sri Lanka. Along with a small team of volunteers, she settled in a coastal town that had been hit especially hard and set to work — tending to injuries, giving out food and water, collecting dead bodies, and helping to rebuild the local school and homes that had been destroyed. Thompson had intended to stay for two weeks; she ended up staying for fourteen months. She and her team helped to set up the first tsunami early-warning centre in Sri Lanka, which continues to save lives today.

The Third Wave tells the inspiring story of how volunteering changed Thompson’s life. It begins with her first real introduction to disaster relief after 9/11 and ends with her more recent efforts in Haiti, where she has helped to create and run an internally-displaced-person camp and field hospital for more than 65,000 Haitians who lost their homes in the 2010 earthquake. Thompson provides an invaluable inside glimpse into what really happens on the ground after a disaster — and a road map for anyone wanting to help. As her story shows, with some resilience, a healthy sense of humour, and the desire to make a difference, we all have what it takes to change the world for the better.