Tag Archives: Disaster Response

Hurricane Ian Anniversary: From Highway Patrol to Humanitarian Aid

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American Red Cross volunteer Melody Heilmann

The woman, and many of her neighbors, had been eating only canned food and storing very limited perishables in coolers since a hurricane had hit their homes weeks before, American Red Cross volunteer Melody Heilmann says. She chokes up as she recalls the woman screaming at the top of her lungs with joy when she was told she qualified for financial assistance from the Red Cross, “Oh my god, I can get a refrigerator now!” The woman was one of many people that Melody helped while volunteering for the Red Cross three years ago during Hurricane Ian.

This assignment was one of eight times Melody has responded to a disaster with the Red Cross, including after the wildfires in Chico, Calif. and Lahaina, Hawaii. Arriving just two days after the catastrophic fires in Hawaii, Melody vividly recalls people who arrived at the shelter still covered in soot and missing their shoes because they lost them when they fled from the deadly blaze. Although it can be very sad to meet people at what might be the worst time of their lives, seeing how the Red Cross helps them is very rewarding.

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“I Wanted to Help the Local Community”

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A wildfire deployment shows the Red Cross mission at work on both sides of the border

“I like helping the community and giving back, so when I saw the opportunity to deploy outside the U.S., it grabbed my attention.”

Lucy in a wildfire shelter in Winnipeg.

Lucy Rojas is no stranger to disaster work. The Red Cross veteran, based in Monterey County with the Northern California Coastal region, recently finished a deployment to Canada to assist with the Canadian Red Cross response to the 2025 wildfires. But her initial disaster response was stateside in 2018.

“In 2018, I was deployed to the Parkland shooting; I was an intern at the (Red Cross) Broward County Chapter in Florida when it happened,” she said. The Red Cross was one of many humanitarian organizations that responded to the Feb. 14 mass casualty event at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Seventeen people lost their lives that day. The Red Cross provided on-site support at the Family Assistance Center.

“Then I was deployed to a shelter the Red Cross opened in response to a fire at a local senior living complex. Just as that was wrapping up, the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse happened, and I was part of that response. All of this happened within three months.”

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On Being a Shelter Volunteer: My First Deployment Experience 

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Volunteer Disaster Supervisor Jerome Thierry (center) has been involved with the American Red Cross since he was a child in Los Angeles in 1977. Given his experience, he supports newer volunteers like Jill Feldon (left) and Keturah Fenicle (right) as shelter team leader. 

It’s true: you will meet some amazing people, you will have “a-ha” moments that will stick with you for the rest of your life, your adrenaline will soar, you will learn a ton and you’ll face long stretches of tedium punctuated by a flurry of activity. 

All these moments are yours to experience if you respond to a disaster as an American Red Cross volunteer.  

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On the Frontlines of Relief: A Volunteer’s Perspective from the Southern California Wildfires

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Kaia ready to go for her first Red Cross deployment

Kaia Newsam was out the door, ready to head to Los Angeles as soon as she got the call from the American Red Cross to respond to the Southern California wildfires. Even if this was her first volunteer mission with the Red Cross, Kaia was equipped to volunteer, having already completed the necessary training.

A recent graduate from U.C. Berkeley and now based in Merced, Kaia has been studying for the MCAT in preparation for medical school applications, which left her with free time to answer the call for volunteers.

“I was a brand new volunteer still going through my training and I just happened to be able to do all of the sheltering training in one day,” she said. “Deploying to the L.A. fires was my first experience volunteering at the Red Cross, which is a crazy thing to leave for two weeks to do.”

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Best RV Center’s Commitment to Helping Wildfire Victims

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In early January, a series of devastating wildfires tore through the Los Angeles metro area, leaving destruction in their wake. The fires, which impacted multiple neighborhoods, resulted in at least 29 deaths, the destruction of over 16,000 structures, and dangerously unhealthy air quality affecting millions. As communities continue to recover from this disaster, businesses and organizations across California have stepped up to provide support.

Samantha, Naiel Ammari’s daughter, evacuated from Calabasas during the devasting wildfires.

One such business is Best RV Center, a family-operated dealership located in Turlock, Calif. Established in 1997 by Naiel Ammari and his brother Nazeh, Best RV Center has grown into one of the largest RV dealerships in the region. Situated on 20 acres along Route 99, the dealership boasts an impressive inventory of 1,700 RVs, offering a wide range of models to customers from across the state.

When the wildfires broke out in January, the devastation hit close to home for Naiel. His daughter Samantha, a graduate student at Pepperdine University, was among those affected. Living in Calabasas, she faced difficulties commuting to school due to road closures. With no water or internet access, she and other students found support from the American Red Cross, which provided shelter, clothing, water and essential supplies to those affected by the fires. Pepperdine University was forced to close temporarily, shifting classes online, and Samantha chose to leave the area and drive eight hours back home to Turlock.

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