Tim Hokanson, Fleet Manager

When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross workforce use emergency response vehicles to travel to impacted areas, and deliver critical disaster relief services to people in need. The fleet associate tracks, coordinates scheduling, utilization, maintenance and documentation of the signature red-and-white vehicles, to ensure the organization has a fully operational fleet to safely deploy in the wake of emergencies.  

Zarina Muhammad, Service to the Armed Forces Volunteer

Volunteers in service to the armed forces provide military personnel, veterans and their families support in the form of counseling, guidance, information, referrals, companionship and other social service needs. Volunteers assist deployed personnel with communications during urgent family matters, such as a serious illness, the birth of a child or a death in the family.

Matthew Martinez, Disaster Feeding

Disaster feeding volunteers serve hot meals from emergency response vehicles in neighborhoods impacted by disaster. They also provide meals to emergency shelter residents, the Red Cross disaster response workforce and often to community emergency response partners. 

Luisa Gianuca, Shelter Associate

In the wake of a community disaster, shelter volunteers support all aspects of providing shelter to anyone displaced from their home. Volunteers set up and break down the temporary lodging and help with daily activities which, include working the reception desk, registering new arrivals, serving meals and providing information to shelter occupants. Volunteers also lend friendship and comfort to all shelter residents.

Alonzo Cephus, Casework

After a Red Cross disaster response case is initiated, Casework volunteers provide follow-up and recovery planning services for people displaced from home by any type of disaster. Volunteers can arrange financial assistance for those who qualify, offer internal and external referrals, and assist with problem-solving advocacy. Caseworkers also coordinate with community partners to organize recovery needs and strategies. 

Sabrina Spatny, Youth Exec. Board President

The Youth Executive Board is the highest volunteer leadership opportunity for Red Cross youth. Volunteers bring Health and Safety, Disaster Services, International Services and Fundraising initiatives into their community. Executive board members engage high school, middle school, and elementary school aged children in the Red Cross mission.  

Mary Sevilla, Disaster Mental Health

Disaster mental health volunteers provide professional counseling for anyone impacted by a natural disaster or other emergency. Experiencing a disaster can be stressful, even after the immediate danger has passed. Mental health volunteers listen to those who need to talk about what they have endured; they can spot early signs of traumatic stress and make referrals for specialist care. Volunteers are required to be mental health professionals with a master’s degree and a current license, or hold certification in any U.S. state or territory, or be recently retired. 

Bob Rich, Restoring Family Links

Restoring family links volunteers provide free and confidential services to reconnect families separated by international crises. Volunteers strive to locate loved ones when families are separated as a result of international conflicts, disasters, migration or other humanitarian emergencies. 

Ricardo Alterno, Public Affairs

Public affairs volunteers respond to local media inquiries by coordinating phone, radio and on-camera interviews to publicize the mission of the Red Cross and to ensure people know how to access Red Cross services. Volunteers support local and national disaster activities, often deploying to support operations across the country and U.S. territories. 

Francie Jones, Logistics

Logistics volunteers assist with the procurement, warehousing and dissemination of Red Cross disaster supplies. They perform facility inspections prior to opening a shelter and support tracking, fueling, cleaning, and maintaining the fleet of Red Cross vehicles and emergency supply trailers.

Angela Evans, Board Member

Board members are volunteer leaders and goodwill ambassadors who open doors by identifying potential donors, volunteers and community connections. They contribute ideas and expertise to ensure the well-being of the Red Cross mission, and participate in committee meetings, events and outreach activities. They actively support the financial health of the organization by making personal contributions and securing gifts to meet fundraising goals. 

Gary Soloff, Medical Screener

Medical Screeners provide all blood and platelet donors a free health screening prior to their donation. Volunteers check blood pressure, hemoglobin, pulse rates, and through a series of health questions, confirm a donor’s health status ensuring a safe donation experience. Volunteers record vitals in a donor’s secure and private online profile, where donors can track and monitor their results. 

Leticia Olivera, Blood Donor Ambassador

Volunteer blood donor ambassadors are the first people donors meet when they arrive at a blood drive or donation center. Ambassadors check in each donor for their appointment and aim to create a pleasant donation experience. From the moment a donor arrives to the moment they leave, an ambassador fields all questions, schedules next donations and acknowledges every donor for their life-giving donation. 

Alvin Jackson, Blood Transportation Specialist

Biomedical transportation specialists deliver blood products to local hospitals for patient use and deliver blood and platelet donations to Red Cross blood processing centers. This volunteer position ensures that patients receive the lifesaving blood they need.

Bernie Nazari, Government Operations

Government operations volunteers develop and maintain relationships with government partners and internal Red Cross teams, and facilitate effective response services to communities impacted by disasters. Volunteers ensure that Red Cross actions are aligned with, supportive of, and complementary to government crisis operations. They represent the Red Cross to external partners, and establish/monitor situational awareness. They also seek, collect, evaluate and communicate critical disaster response information.

Jane Dean, Disaster Health Services

Disaster Health Services volunteers aid the health needs of anyone impacted by a crises. They support emergency responses, shelter operations, first-aid stations, outreach activities, along with casework and recovery planning during a relief operation. Volunteers must have active and unencumbered licensure or certification as either a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, licensed vocational nurse, nurse practitioner, advanced practice nurse, medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, physician assistant, emergency medical technician or paramedic, retired RN/LPN/LVN if the state in which the license is granted allows for full scope of practice for the volunteer. 

Jimmy Remy, Disaster Action Team

Disaster Action Team volunteers respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They provide shelter, supplies, emotional support and connect people with long term recovery services. This dedicated group of volunteers ensures that people are not alone in the hours immediately after a disaster. 

Anusha Kothandhapani, Info & Planning

Information and planning volunteers gather and assess data critical for the management of a disaster response and recovery operation, including information about the scope of the event and the effectiveness of the support. Planning activities include disaster assessment, analysis, financial and statistical data, and information dissemination. The intelligence compiled enables effective disaster response service delivery, along with capacity building and readiness activities during steady state periods.

Mark Chung, Ham Radio 

Amateur Radio operators provide communications during disaster relief operations. Also known as Hams, these volunteers are critical at the onset of a disaster. They provide local guidance on how to navigate disaster affected areas, assist with disaster assessments, establish and maintain radio link communications critical in relaying necessary information. Hams operate at multiple service delivery sites when traditional communication services are disrupted.  

Genesis Aguilar, Emergency Medical Responder

First-Aid Station volunteers serve the community as emergency medical responders (EMR). They are the first line of response at the Tournament of Roses Parade and throughout the year at many Rose Bowl Stadium events. Volunteers are trained to sustain life, reduce pain and minimize the consequences of injury or sudden illness until more advanced medical help arrives. EMR certification requires nearly 60 hours of training. 

Jack Carter, First-aid/CPR Instructor

CPR/First Aid Instructors prepare thousands of people each year how to respond when emergencies arise. With over 500,000 cardiac arrests occurring each year, CPR training can be the difference between life and death. Through Red Cross First Aid certification classes individuals, businesses and communities can learn how to respond to specific situations and how to care for people in crisis until medical professionals arrive.  

Ray Cano, Spiritual Care

Disaster spiritual care volunteers provide spiritual and emotional support to individuals and families who have been affected by a disaster. They guide people to use the values and traditions of an individual’s personal beliefs towards healing and recovery, while providing connections to other community resources. Spiritual care volunteers also help develop partnerships with local faith-based organizations and make time for staff members and volunteers who request spiritual care support.