“A little bit of physical work and a lot of satisfaction,” is how one American Red Cross volunteer describes his experience distributing emergency supplies after a disaster. It’s a simple description from Marcel Pajuelo-Schwartz, but it captures the heart of the distribution of emergency supplies volunteer role perfectly. The physical work comes from lifting and carrying buckets of essential items, while the satisfaction comes from knowing you have helped people in a real, hands-on way when they need it most.
Marcel, who lives in Daly City, Calif., has been a Red Cross volunteer since 1967. He has tried many volunteer roles over the years but he especially enjoys this one. His efforts to distribute emergency supplies play a critical role in helping individuals and families recover in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. His role is to provide items essential to basic survival, health and sanitation as quickly and equitably as possible to people whose homes and neighborhoods have been affected. These essential supplies may include flashlights, food coolers, buckets, shovels, masks, gloves, cleaning products and garbage bags — everything people need to begin cleaning up their yards and their homes after a disaster turns life upside down.
By Executive Director of Central Valley Chapter Lori Wilson
Lori Wilson (L) with Mayor Camacho (R).
CORRECTION (July 31, 2026): An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Mayor Camacho of Saipan as former Mayor Carlos Camacho from Guam. The error has been corrected.
In July, I had the privilege of touring the island of Saipan with Mayor Camacho as an Elected Official Liaison (EOL), visiting families whose lives have been deeply affected by Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi alongside him. As we went from home to home, we listened to their stories, learned about their most pressing needs and witnessed firsthand the remarkable resilience that continues to shine through despite so much loss and uncertainty.
By Alison Votaw, American Red Cross Communications Volunteer
For 35 years, Vicki Dellone wore a badge with the Fresno Police Department, dedicating her career to protecting and serving her community. Retirement could have marked the end of that chapter. Instead, it opened the door to a new one.
Today, Vicki serves as a Disaster Action Team Supervisor for the American Red Cross, continuing a lifetime of service — this time in red instead of blue.
“We help your neighbors, your friends, and maybe you.”
Growing up, Vicki remembers seeing the Red Cross responding to national disasters. Now, as she witnesses the organization’s local impact firsthand, she’s made it her mission to educate others about the Red Cross. She joined the Disaster Action Team (DAT), and her passion for helping people recover from home fires has only grown stronger with each response.
In Fresno, Vicki responds to home fires alongside the Disaster Action Team (DAT), helping families navigate some of the hardest moments of their lives. With each call, her commitment to serving others has only deepened.
“We’re a team, and I’m never alone.”
The Fresno DAT team may be small, but their impact reaches across the community day and night. When families face the devastation of losing their home to a fire, volunteers arrive ready to offer comfort, practical support and compassion.
Vicki and fellow supervisor Vickie Mora help welcome and mentor new Disaster Action Team members, encouraging them as they begin their own Red Cross journeys. Together, the team provides wraparound support that can include financial assistance, spiritual care and temporary housing to help families find their footing after tragedy.
For Vicki, the work is deeply personal because every response is about people first.
“Sometimes all they need is a hug.”
Over the years, Vicki has witnessed the relief families feel when Red Cross volunteers arrive. In moments filled with uncertainty, fear and loss, that simple presence can remind someone they are not alone. Some of the most meaningful gestures are also the simplest.
“It’s the little everyday moments.”
Local quilters throughout the community create handmade blankets for families affected by home fires. Vicki says some of the most powerful moments happen when a volunteer wraps someone in one of those quilts — offering not just warmth, but comfort and hope.
She recalls meeting someone who had received a Red Cross blanket as a teenager after experiencing a fire. Years later, they still remembered the feeling of being cared for during one of the most difficult moments of their life.
For Vicki, those moments are reminders that even small acts of kindness can leave lasting impressions.
Vicki now works alongside two other former first responders, John and Jose Martinez, who also found a second chapter of service with the Red Cross. Together, they continue supporting their community through disaster response, local events and preparedness efforts.
She hopes other retired first responders recognize that their experience, compassion and leadership are still needed.
“You still have more to give.”
“There’s always a place for first responders here,” Vicki said. “A place where they can continue to serve and make a difference.”
“You never know how long your impact will be.”
Every day, volunteers like Vicki stand ready to respond to home fires 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the call comes, they go — bringing support, compassion and hope to neighbors facing unimaginable loss.
For Vicki, serving others has never just been a job title. It’s part of who she is.
And for anyone wondering whether they still have something to give to their community, her story offers a powerful reminder: your next chapter of service could be just beginning.
If you’re looking for your own way to make a difference, volunteer with the American Red Cross and join a team where every action — big or small — can change a life.
The American Red Cross is widely known to respond to disasters caused by home fires across the nation – but what about preventative action?
All the tools and assets necessary for a Sound the Alarm event. Photography by: Pooja Klebig | American Red Cross
As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross does not only seek to aid communities in home fire recovery, but also in the necessary steps that lead to home fire prevention. By installing free smoke alarms in residential neighborhoods and educating communities about home fire safety, Red Cross chapters ensure a holistic approach to protection is enacted. As of today, the Red Cross, alongside local fire departments and community partners, has installed 1,128 smoke alarms in 459 homes, creating a safer space for 1,502 residents across the Northern Coastal California Region.
When Leanna Carskaddon, Senior Volunteer Recruitment Specialist at the American Red Cross, looks around a room full of Red Cross volunteers, she can barely get through a speech without getting emotional. Leanna is constantly amazed by the local volunteers who constantly show up for their community every day. From her aunt’s phone call in 2012 to her current role supporting youth clubs across the region, Leanna’s story is a masterclass in what it means to lead by example.
Leanna didn’t find the Red Cross by accident. Like many, she witnessed the Red Cross helping during national disasters.
“When my kids got older and didn’t need me as much, I’m gonna go do that,” she told herself. She just didn’t know a local chapter existed until her aunt, volunteering at the front desk one summer, called her up and said, “You have to come down here. You’re gonna love this.” That one phone call launched an 11-year volunteer career before Leanna transitioned to paid staff, a decision she describes as feeling simply right when the time came.
“She was just leading by example. She didn’t have to go find a way to volunteer. She was doing it by being her.”
“For me, responding to home fires alongside fellow volunteers is not just a responsibility. It’s an honor.”
Javier Gonzalez
By Javier Gonzalez, American Red Cross Volunteerand Board Member
As a board member of the American Red Cross Kern County and Eastern Sierra Chapter, I have the privilege of seeing our mission from a strategic vantage point — strengthening programs, supporting volunteers and helping guide the direction of an organization that serves nearly a million people across Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties.
But being part of the Disaster Action Team (DAT) brings that mission into sharp, human focus. It’s where strategy meets reality, where compassion becomes action and where the Red Cross promise is delivered to one family at a time.
For me, responding to home fires alongside fellow volunteers is not just a responsibility. It’s an honor.
