By Patrick DeLaney/American Red Cross

This past August, wildfires devastated the land and people of Hawaii over several days in what  Governor Josh Green called the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. In response, Red Cross volunteers and employees from across the country heeded the call to support relief efforts on the islands. One of the many who deployed to serve in the relief effort was Los Angeles Region's Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) and International Services Director, Diana Boyd.

Recently returned from her deployment, she has had a moment to look back and reflect on the impacts she made there.

The Red Cross offers a variety of free resiliency workshops year round both in person and online, to provide military, veterans and their families effective tools for facing challenges and stress.

The workshops in Maui consisted primarily of small group sessions, which served to help facilitate discussion about shared experiences among the participants, and were in Diana’s words, “a great success.” Although organizing and delivering those SAF workshops was a critical objective for her, Boyd recalls her favorite moment during her deployment was the time she spent simply conducting and overseeing the National Guard Checkpoint visits.

“It was really nice to just be interacting with the Hawaii Army National Guard,” Boyd explained, “They always appreciated the cold drinks, snacks, conversation and care our SAF team provided them.”

Simple acts of kindness and support made big impacts on those who were seeking reprieve from the distressing conditions of the wildfires.

The memories Boyd shared represent two of the many ways that Red Cross volunteers provide care and support to those all over the world who are experiencing difficult circumstances. Whether it is providing a structured environment to help those who are hurting heal, or being the friendly face with a snack and drink to comfort those battling the fires, the volunteers she worked with in Maui provided comfort in care and ensured no one faced a crisis alone.

Even though she is happy to be back home, her work to bring aid, care and kindness to our service members and their families does not stop.

The mission of the American Red Cross was born on the battlefield through Clara Barton’s care for Civil War soldiers. Today, we continue to serve the U.S. military community from the time a service member takes the oath to navigate life as a veteran. Visit redcross.org/SAF to learn more.

About the American Red Cross: 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.