By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer

From responding to Red Cross disaster calls to leading sheltering efforts, Bonnie Hoover’s impact has been deeply felt — especially during New Mexico’s largest disaster response last summer.

She not only helped open the shelter but she also served as a shelter supervisor and extended her deployment to continue supporting the mission.

“Bonnie has been a cornerstone in building the Southern New Mexico team. She has recently taken on additional training to become a shelter manager and has mentored others in supervisory roles, always offering help without hesitation,” said Carina Gonzalez, Community Disaster Program Manager for Southern New Mexico.

Carina nominated Bonnie, who lives in Las Cruces, for the New Mexico Chapter’s Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer of the Year Award. Bonnie was recognized for her outstanding leadership along with five other Red Cross volunteers during an awards celebration on May 31.

“It is truly a pleasure to work alongside Bonnie. Her dedication, leadership, and unwavering support embody the very spirit of the Red Cross mission,” Carina said.

As the volunteer partner for her Community Disaster Program Manager, Bonnie has been instrumental in guiding her to play a key role in many significant accomplishments — one of the most notable being the establishment of a strong and lasting relationship with the Mescalero Tribe.

Bonnie has been a Red Cross volunteer since 2009. After retiring as a mail carrier, her girlfriend encouraged her to volunteer for the Red Cross in Texas because they needed people who could speak Spanish, especially on disaster calls. Bonnie later moved to New Mexico in 2015 and continued as a Red Cross volunteer.

“I found while driving the Red Cross emergency relief vehicle that I really like meeting people, serving meals and seeing how appreciative they are of our efforts,” Bonnie said.

Her first deployment was Hurricane Sandy in 2012. She’s deployed to West Virginia, New York, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and New Mexico.

She has served many roles, including Disaster Response Team, a shelter supervisor and manager, and driving emergency response vehicles. She worked on supplies for the Afghani evacuations, migrant sheltering and at two Family Assistance Centers as a result of mass casualty events. She also helped install smoke alarms in homes.

“I’d encourage others to get out of their comfort zone and step up as I’ve had some really fun and rewarding deployments. Also it’s fun to go places you’ve never been before and try jobs you haven’t done,” Bonnie said.