By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer

Sofia Theard watched as enormous trucks rolled in and a small village of tents and trailers were set up with beds and blankets to provide safe places to rest and share stories of difficult experiences.

The American Red Cross had arrived. Sofia’s mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico had been devastated by fire in June 2024.

“People in my community were collectively traumatized, those directly affected and those who witnessed the impact on our friends, family and neighbors,” she said.

After checking on how the Red Cross was helping,  Sofia was given the opportunity to be a Red Cross EBV, an event-based volunteer.

“There were people from all walks of life, from near and far pitching in to help in the recovery of our citizens and I wanted to be a part of that,” she added.

Sofia continued her volunteer work by becoming a Disaster Duty Officer (DDO) for the Red Cross New Mexico Chapter.

Because of Sofia’s outstanding volunteer work, she was recently honored with the New Mexico Chapter Exceptional Volunteer of the Year Award.

Carina Gonzalez, Red Cross Community Disaster Program Manager for Southern New Mexico,  who nominated Sofia for the award, said:

“Sofia truly has a heart of gold. Her passion for strengthening the DDO program, supporting her teammates and consistently showing up when it matters most is inspiring. She is always eager to learn and looks for ways to grow so she can better serve others. Her commitment, compassion, and leadership make her an invaluable member of the team.”

“She brings the same level of energy, care and professionalism to every single call, no matter how many shifts she has already taken. She shows genuine compassion for every client she assists and is equally committed to ensuring that our teams remain safe while responding to incidents. Sofia always follows up and makes sure responders return home safely after their calls.”

Sofia encourages others to become Red Cross volunteers.

“Help is needed anywhere we go and the arm of the American Red Cross extends very far. There is something for everyone, be it deploying, which I am unable to do, to sitting at home and lending a hand dispatching help, doing virtual intakes and helping our Armed Forces,” she said.

While Sofia has temporarily moved back to Texas, she continues her Red Cross volunteer work for the West Texas Chapter.

“What keeps me going is my gratitude to be able to serve,” she added.