Tag Archives: Disaster Deployment

The Heart of a Shelter: Jodi Wallace’s Strategic Lead in the Alaska Typhoon Recovery 

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Jodi Wallace in Alaska after Typhoon Halong

For American Red Cross volunteer Jodi Wallace, the call to deploy to natural disasters is a lifelong mission. Most recently, she was one of the many volunteers that deployed to Alaska to aid the thousands of survivors affected by the destruction of Typhoon Halong last October.  

Referring to herself as a “Katrina baby,” Jodi has been deploying to natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina. When she first heard the call for Red Cross volunteers on the television and radio, she signed up and began her journey assisting in the shelters.  

“I realized that sheltering was really something near and dear to my heart, so I stayed with it. For at least the first 16 years, I predominantly ran shelters as a shelter manager because that is really what I loved and was passionate about,” she said. “For the last four years, I started doing other things, but my favorite is being Mass Care Chief because it keeps me close to sheltering.” 

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Stronger Together: A Couple Who Brings Heart to Red Cross Disaster Relief 

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American Red Cross volunteers Richard (left) and Caroline Matera (middle), consult with Vincent Hand about how to find damaged properties in Chinese Camp.  

Among the unsung heroes of American Red Cross disaster responses are the families of Red Cross volunteers, whose loved ones may be away for holidays and important occasions while they are helping those affected by a disaster. Then there are those couples who eliminate that problem by joining the Red Cross together with their family members.

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From California to the Carolinas: How one Red Crosser is helping those impacted by winter storms

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By South Carolina Red Crosser Nick Gibson

Andrew Rosenberg worked alongside the HQ Shelter Manager, Tonya, coordinating shelter efforts from HQ.

As winter storms have affected South Carolina over the past two weeks, many American Red Cross employees and volunteers deployed to the Palmetto State to help those in need. One of those employees was Andrew Rosenberg, who traveled from California. 

Andrew is a community disaster program manager in the Northern California Coastal Region, based in San Francisco. 

He believes deploying and helping others is incredibly important. 

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American Red Cross NCCR Volunteers Provide Relief to Thousands of Alaskan Survivors of Typhoon Halong

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When American Red Cross volunteer Karl Matzke, from Santa Clara County, received the call to organize a team and deploy to Alaska, there was no hesitation in his decision to go. As one of the Divisional Leads for Operations Management, he ran the operations for the first shelter that opened in Alaska just three days after Typhoon Halong devastated the region on October 12.

October 22, 2025. Anchorage, Alaska.
The American Red Cross deployed hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers from across the country to help during what could be a prolonged relief response from Typhoon Halong.
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You Don’t Have to Be a Nurse to Help: Volunteer’s Story Shows There’s a Role for Everyone at the Red Cross  

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Tammy Salwasser from Alameda County thought she had to be a nurse to volunteer with the American Red Cross.   

“I first heard about it from a girlfriend of mine who was a nurse and she would deploy,” says Tammy. Her friend encouraged her to join as a volunteer, but Tammy’s work experience was in customer service and sales; so, she didn’t think she was qualified to help. That is, until she learned that there is no requirement for specialized credentials for many volunteer roles, since the Red Cross provides free training.   

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Red Cross Volunteer Brought Hope and Housing Help to LA Fire Survivors and Others 

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A Red Crosser surveys damage caused by fires in LA 

What happens when you have nowhere to go after a disaster? What if your neighborhood is destroyed, or your home is no longer safe? For those affected by the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles, Calif., the American Red Cross was there to supply safe shelter, food, relief supplies, financial assistance, comfort and a specific service that only Sue Trautman and her team can provide. 

Sue, a Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region volunteer, arrived in LA about a week after the fires devastated communities across the city. She set up shop in the Red Cross offices downtown and got right to work. Sue served on the Shelter Resident Transition Team — a group of volunteers that helps evacuees in shelters create a plan to move into more stable long-term housing. 

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