By Randy Ogden

American Red Cross Spiritual Care Volunteer Norita Cassou started with the Red Cross twenty years ago following Hurricane Katrina.   

Today, hundreds of Red Cross spiritual care volunteers across the country are trained to provide support and comfort after disasters, regardless of a person’s faith tradition. We know faith is an important part of helping people recover, and residents in our shelters are always welcome to pray, read religious literature, and gather among themselves. 

Norita has been doing Spiritual Care exclusively for the past ten years. At times, sitting with clients for an hour or more. She has been referred to as a Red Cross shelter angel.   

She has also spent time with the traveling Vietnam Memorial talking with vets about their experiences. The experience reinforced her passion for supporting veterans. Here in Los Angeles, we found her working a shift at the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall Veteran Shelter, where nearly 130 displaced veterans were housed.   

It’s not only clients who benefit from Norita’s generosity of spirit. She loves working with staff, volunteers, and clients alike. As an additional responsibility, Norita calls Red Cross volunteers returning from a disaster deployment, just to check in. She calls it Voices from home.

It is her way of letting the disaster volunteers know that “we really do care about you” before, during, and after a response.