Tag Archives: Disaster Response

A New Generation of Service: How One Gen Z Volunteer is Making a Difference

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“The satisfaction of knowing you helped someone through their toughest time is worth it.”

Conner Hunter

By Sarah Borcena, Red Cross Volunteer

Conner Hunter began volunteering with the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team in November 2025, joining a growing wave of Gen Z volunteers stepping up to help people in crisis. Across the country, Gen Z now represents the largest and fastest‑growing segment of the Red Cross volunteer workforce, bringing empathy, flexibility and a strong sense of purpose to communities when help is needed most.

For Conner, volunteering had always been important, but joining the Disaster Action Team offered a meaningful way to put service into action. He was motivated by a desire to support people during some of their most difficult moments and to make a tangible difference when emergencies disrupt everyday life.

Stock photo illustrating Disaster Action Team response

Within his first few months, Conner responded to several local emergencies, including his very first call in Tulare, California. A broken waterline at an apartment complex had forced a family from their home, leaving them suddenly displaced and uncertain about what would come next.

As a new volunteer, Conner initially observed the disaster response process, learning how Red Cross volunteers assess urgent needs and offer immediate support following an emergency. He helped gather the family’s information so the team could provide financial assistance and arrange safe accommodations. This moment became his first glimpse into the impact the Red Cross makes in times of crisis. Watching the family regain a sense of stability helped Conner see firsthand how timely support can ease overwhelming situations.

Another experience soon reinforced Conner’s commitment to service. During Christmas, he put his own holiday plans on hold to respond to a fire in Plainview, California. While the call required personal sacrifice, the experience left a lasting impression.

“The satisfaction of knowing you helped someone through their toughest time is worth it,” Conner shared. The moment deepened his understanding of what service can look like, especially during times when families are already facing loss and uncertainty.

For many Gen Z volunteers like Conner, flexibility and willingness to step in when needed are part of what makes their contributions so impactful. Whether responding to local disasters, supporting events or assisting families after emergencies, young volunteers are helping ensure communities don’t face crises alone.

Conner’s journey reflects a broader movement of young people choosing purpose‑driven service. When asked what he would say to someone thinking about joining the Disaster Action Team or another Red Cross role, his advice is simple:

“Make sure your heart is in the right place. If it is, the experience will be incredibly rewarding. It’s not about getting recognition. It’s about being there when people need you the most.”

As Gen Z volunteers continue to answer the call, stories like Conner’s show how compassion, commitment and a willingness to serve can make a real difference — one response at a time.

JOIN US Are you passionate about helping others and leaving things better than you find them? Join our team of changemakers who are working together to make a real impact. With a wide range of volunteer opportunities available, there’s a role for everyone. Get involved today and be part of the solution. Visit here for more information.

Earth Day, Then and Now: Finding Hope on the Frontlines of a Climate Crisis 

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By Dej Knuckey

On the first Earth Day in 1970, twenty million Americans gathered to protest pollution and industrial waste. No one was using the term “climate crisis” yet, but the biggest pollutants of all—greenhouse gases—were just beginning to take their toll. 

Since then, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from 325 to 430 parts per million, a powerful measure of how much the climate has changed in just over five decades.  

Now we see the effects every day: The American Red Cross is responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as it did a decade ago. 

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Jeff Martin: A Heart for Service

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From disaster responses to community events, Jeff’s dedication shows how one volunteer can make a profound difference in a short amount of time.

By Cindy Huge, American Red Cross Volunteer

After retiring, Jeff Martin knew he wasn’t ready to slow down. He wanted to do something meaningful — something that would let him give back to his community. After talking with his neighbors, longtime Red Cross volunteers Russ and Cindy Huge, Jeff realized the American Red Cross offered exactly what he’d been looking for: a way to help people on their hardest days.

Jeff jumped in with enthusiasm. Within a short time, he completed training in Feeding, Sheltering and the Disaster Action Team (DAT) in Kern County. Since then, he has responded to more than a dozen DAT calls, including several in rural communities such as Maricopa and Taft.

One call stayed with him. A family had lost everything in a fire and was standing outside in 42‑degree weather with a young child. Jeff remembers how grateful they were when he offered warm blankets.

Jeff pictured with his neighbors at a Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation event

“I had never seen anyone so appreciative of something so simple,” he said. “It reminded me why this work matters.”

Fellow DAT responder Jim Hankinson shared, “Jeff is a joy to work with. He’s quick to offer water, blankets, whatever clients need. He’s a caring responder.”

Jeff’s willingness to step up extends beyond disaster calls. He joined a Sound the Alarm installation event in Taft, grateful for the chance to make homes safer and meet residents where they live. He also proudly carried the Red Cross banner in the Veterans Day Parade.

“It was a great honor to lead our volunteers,” Jeff said. “Representing the Red Cross that day meant a lot to me.”

His commitment shows up in quiet moments, too. When his chapter held its holiday party in the clubhouse near his home, Jeff arrived three hours early. He cleaned the room, set up tables and even took home the linens to wash afterward — a small gesture that spoke volumes about his character.

Through every response and every act of service, Jeff embodies the compassion and dedication that define the Red Cross mission. His journey is a reminder that one person’s willingness to help can make a profound difference in the lives of others.

For more than half of America’s history, people have cared for one another through the American Red Cross. As the U.S. marks 250 years, we’re honoring those who provide help and hope every day. This National Volunteer Month, we celebrate the volunteers like Jeff who make our mission possible. Learn how to get started as a volunteer at redcross.org/volunteer.

Laura’s Lesson from Alaska: Appreciating the Communities We Serve

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Laura (in purple) with other Red Cross volunteers who deployed to the same shelter in Anchorage. 

Being called to assist those whose lives have been upended by a natural disaster is not only an opportunity to provide aid and service. A deployment is also a unique opportunity for cultural exchange, and Laura Hovden’s deployment to Alaska in the wake of Typhoon Halong in October 2025 was a testament to that.  

Laura first got involved in local disaster management volunteer opportunities with the American Red Cross in 2014. Once her children left home for college, she left her own backyard to deploy to natural disasters across the country. She focused on organizing shelters during her initial deployments, but she soon secured more responsibilities as part of the Mass Care team that manages relief operations for larger natural disasters.

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More Than a Store: What Community Really Means After Disaster

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Richard and Add Beale were fossil-hunting in the area near Chinese Camp, off the road to Yosemite, about a decade ago when they noticed a ‘for sale’ sign. A few years later they sold their home and packed up their two children and moved to the town where they’ve become community icons.

The American Red Cross could not help communities recover from disasters without the help of community partners. In Chinese Camp, a historic small town outside Sonora that was devastated when a lightning-sparked fire swept through on September 2, 2025, one standout partnership included Richard and Add Beale, owners of the Chinese Camp Store.

Ten years ago, when the Beales first noticed the “for sale” sign on the run-down store and tavern on the road from Sonora to Yosemite, they could not have imagined they would be where they are today: the well-established owners of the store and serving as the Chinese Camp’s recovery hub from wildfires that destroyed 50 of the homes in a community that has only 150 residents.

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Answering the Call: What It Means to Serve on the Disaster Action Team

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“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 Volunteer and 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.

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