“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.
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.”
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.
She still remembers her first missing persons case from eight years ago. An older woman was frantically looking for her daughter and granddaughter who had disappeared after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and Louisiana. Kathy Kennard, an American Red Cross volunteer, was assigned to track them down, and eventually located the pair!
“She sobbed and sobbed when I told her they were safe in a shelter,” remembers Kathy, who is a Reunification supervisor for the Red Cross. “It’s the most rewarding thing.”
Just four days after graduating high school in the Central Valley, she joined the United States Marine Corps to see the world. For four years, she learned resilience, teamwork and the joy of being part of something bigger than herself.
That same spirit carried her to the American Red Cross.
Susan finds camaraderie among fellow veterans who continue their service through the American Red Cross.
From Rhode Island to California, Susan has stood shoulder to shoulder with others in times of crisis as a Red Cross volunteer. Whether it was walking through flooded streets after Hurricane Irma to deliver meals, comforting families in devastated neighborhoods, or finding strength in the bonds of a new family of volunteers.
“I’ve never been that close to the damage before,” Susan recalled her Hurricane Irma experience as an Emergency Response Vehicle driver tasked with delivering meals and essential supplies. “To go in there and be able to help, it’s a good feeling. And of course, this group of people… you feel like family.”
Today, Susan continues to show up when her neighbors need help. As a Disaster Action Team volunteer, she serves on a team that helps deliver immediate relief, emotional support and long-term recovery resources to people who just experienced a home fire. Thanks to volunteers like her, when disaster strikes, we make sure families never face it alone.
But her Red Cross adventure doesn’t end there. When large disasters strike, she’s ready to help open emergency shelters here at home or across the country as a shelter worker. When a community calls upon the Red Cross, trained and compassionate volunteers show up when help can’t wait.
Whether you want to lend a hand during disasters, support lifesaving preparedness efforts or help behind the scenes — there’s a meaningful role for you here.
Each day, our volunteers support blood drives, assist the military, veterans and military families and provide food and shelter after disasters of all sizes. They teach lifesaving classes like First Aid and CPR and help restore order in other countries through programs such as Restoring Family Links and International Humanitarian Law. Our volunteer opportunities match a wide range of interests and time commitment.
Join our team of changemakers working together to make an impact. Every contribution matters — find the best way for you to get involved. Sign up here today and help our community with one act of kindness at a time.
