Alexa Tookey, American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties, Seattle

Photo by Sue Page/American Red Cross.

I leave my home and enter a disaster area so I can make someone's life a little better than I found it. Maybe a few solid hot meals, some sympathetic conversation, or acknowledging that what happened wasn't fair will make a difference. Sometimes, just knowing that someone came from far away to help you is all it takes.

In Florida, I ran an evacuation shelter when Hurricane Jeanne blew in; in Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, I drove a mobile feeding van. In San Diego, I assessed damage to homes and businesses and ran a supplies distribution center.

It's the people I meet that keep me grounded when working long hours. They come from Savannah to Puerto Rico, from Denver to the U.S. Virgin Islands. I know them for a few days or a couple of weeks, but I will remember them for a lifetime.

I always feel at home with them. I have laughed and cried with them; I have served with them and been served by them. They remind you that you're part of a national (and sometimes global) community that is driven by the same goals. That's why I volunteer.

 Read more "Why I Help" stories
 Read about the 2008 American Red Cross ad campaign, "Change a Life"