Connie Borrego (L), Roxanne Anderson (M) and Liz Dietz (R) serving dinner outdoors.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, has over 9 million veterans enrolled in its health care system. Veterans often require extensive medical care, which puts a strain on families who don’t live near VA hospitals yet want to be with their loved ones. A core mission of the American Red Cross is to provide humanitarian support to military members and their families and for the past two years, the Red Cross has partnered with Fisher House as a key resource for veteran families during health crises.
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.
Colonel (Retired) Larry Dietz, US Army (left) and Dr. Liz Dietz, EdD, RN (right) take a break at the Moffett Field Veterans Fair.
When Larry Dietz first walked into an American Red Cross meeting 25 years ago, he brought with him a lifetime of service, first to his country, then to his community. A decorated veteran with a distinguished career in psychological operations (PSYOP), military intelligence and law, Larry understood the power of communication and humanitarian principles. Today, as the recipient of the Red Cross Clara Barton Award, the highest honor for volunteer achievement at the chapter level, Larry’s legacy reflects both his military roots and his commitment to the Red Cross mission.
Each time a team of dogs and their handlers descends on the Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina, California, American Red Cross volunteer Penny Mount cannot help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She knows these dogs have a meaningful impact on patients, less than a year after their first visit as part of the first Red Cross’s Animal Visitation Program (AVP) in California’s Central Coast.
Penny started the AVP program in November 2024 at the request of her supervisor, Nikki Rowe. She had never built a similar program and “I knew nothing about therapy dogs,” says Penny. So, she reached out to local resources, including the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
“When patients come in, they automatically trust you when they see the Red Cross,” says Justin Nast, M.D., about the logo that is on his name tag. His American Red Cross badge identifies Dr. Nast as a volunteer flight surgeon entrusted with the care of U.S. Air Force aviators.
How did Dr. Nast become a Red Cross volunteer flight surgeon? Interestingly, he didn’t start his medical career planning to be a flight surgeon. In fact, he was an obstetrics and gynecology resident when he was recruited by the Air Force. (An ob/gyn is the medical specialty that encompasses pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, and the health of the female reproductive system.) After joining the armed forces, he spent eight years delivering babies and caring for the health of enlisted service women.
When the hospital he was stationed at in Germany was closing, he launched into a new career: aerospace medicine. Dr. Nast says it’s a growing branch of medicine.
Dr. Justin Nast is part of a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and the U.S. Air Force.Dr. Nast supports the Air Force as a civilian, by volunteering through the Red Cross in the same role in which he served while on active duty – that of a flight medicine physician.American Red Cross volunteers Dr. Dan Canlas and Dr. Justin Nast at Travis Air Force Base.Read more
When U.S. Air Force service member James “Eric” Bermudez received an urgent phone call from the American Red Cross notifying him of a family emergency back home, he had no way of knowing that it was one of many encounters that he would have with the Red Cross while he served. Even after retiring from the Air Force, his relationship with the Red Cross would continue, as he would take on a vital volunteer role.
That phone call came while he was an enlisted medical technician. “The Red Cross called me at my duty station. I was at work, and they called and said we want to put you in touch with your mother; she needs to talk to you,” says (now) Dr. Bermudez (who went on to become an officer and physician in the Air Force, after graduating from medical school). The Red Cross has a unique relationship with the armed forces, which includes helping service members connect with their families during times of emergency. So, on that day, the Red Cross tracked down Dr. Bermudez so that he could talk to his family.
Dr. Bermudez enjoys serving and giving back to the U.S. Air Force community as a civilian Red Cross flight medicine physician volunteer (Photo courtesy of Dr. Bermudez)Flight medicine clinic at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, site of a unique partnership between the Red Cross and U.S. Air Force (Photo courtesy of Roderick Tapnio)From left – Col Alexei Kambalov, with Red Crossers Dr. Dan Canlas, Dr. Justin Nast, Alzinia Pailin, Aerial Chen, at David Grant Medical Center (Photo courtesy of Roderick Tapnio)Read more
