By Jessica Wurst

The memories of the pain Francis Huezo witnessed growing up in El Salvador has never left her. Neither has the compassion it inspired. 

Years before she joined the American Red Cross, Huezo experienced firsthand what it means for people to face uncertainty, loss and upheaval. Today, those experiences shape the way she serves communities during some of their most difficult moments. 

"I grew up with pain and death all over," said Huezo. "They were not natural disasters, but the pain that people experience is the same pain." 

At 18, Huezo and her twin brother came to the United States legally. Their family wanted to protect her brother from being forced into military service amid ongoing conflict in El Salvador, while Huezo hoped to pursue her own path through education and ministry. Together, they learned English and started a new chapter.

"I graduated from Bible School and started working for an international ministry, and I had the blessing of being able to travel a lot when I was a new minister," she said. "That opened my eyes to diversity." 

Her work took her around the world, including to communities facing poverty and hardship, which strengthened her belief that understanding people begins with listening to their stories, cultures and lived experiences. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic cost Huezo her job, she reinvented herself as a certified medical interpreter. The role was a natural fit. Years earlier, she had helped her three-year-old nephew recover from a stroke, an experience that deepened her commitment to helping others during moments of crisis.  

While finishing an assignment at the University of California, Davis, she noticed a posting for a diverse programs manager position with the Red Cross. 

"I didn't know how to professionally deal with disasters, but I knew how to hold people's hands. I knew what it is to give them a plate of food, because sometimes that's the only thing you can do for people." 

Huezo applied for the role, believing it would be a temporary stop before returning fully to ministry. 

Instead, she found a new calling. 

"At the time, I told myself I was going to work for the Red Cross for just a little while until I decided what my next step in ministry was going to be, but I have fallen in love with what I do. I don't know if I will ever go back into ministry," she said.

Today, Huezo is a pillar of the American Red Cross on several fronts. She serves as one of 17 Diverse Community Investment Program Managers across the country, and as a Community Disaster Program Manager in the Gold Country Region. She supports nearly 100 volunteers across four teams that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Collectively, her teams speak Spanish, Punjabi, English and Russian, helping build trusted connections with people whose cultural experiences and language needs might otherwise create barriers during a disaster. 

Her perspective on diversity is rooted in lived experiences and knows that volunteers who come from the communities they serve bring valuable insight and create more welcoming and effective support. These teams embody the spirit of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month theme: Unidos en Acción. Stronger Together. Even in different communities, the shared commitment of all four teams strengthens the American Red Cross mission and its ability to reach people with compassion and understanding.