By Emily Hache/American Red Cross

“If I were recruiting volunteers for the American Red Cross, I would pull out an old poster we used to have that goes back to the 80s. It read, ‘You'll never work harder. You’ll never get dirtier. But it’s the best job you'll never get paid for.’ That’s a message I live by.”   

Jerome Thierry’s history with the American Red Cross began 48 years ago, when he was in junior high school. His godmother recruited him and his friends to help with a volunteer project for their local chapter. That first experience inspired him to volunteer all through high school and adulthood. In the early 1990s, Jerome took the next step in his Red Cross journey and began deploying to areas affected by disasters.

Having deployed in response to over 20 disasters, Jerome has brought his leadership and dedication to a variety of situations, including his recent work in Florida following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Currently, he is on the front lines again, supporting the Southern California Fires.   

One of the greatest challenges is convincing people to accept help in the first place. "There was an apartment complex not too far from the shelter that had been severely flooded,” Jerome described the situation in Clearwater. “We were trying to encourage the residents to come to the shelter, because it wasn’t safe for them to stay in their homes. Some came, but many stayed in the unsafe conditions."   

There are many reasons why people affected by disaster are reluctant to seek help. Some worry that they will have to pay for the help they receive. Others believe they are ineligible to receive aid because they are not US citizens, are undocumented, or do not live in the community where a shelter is located.  

Jerome cherishes every deployment, seeing each as an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. He enjoys traveling to new places and collaborating with a diverse team of Red Cross volunteers from across the country.

Despite these challenges, Jerome values every deployment. He loves the opportunity to help people, travel to unique places and work with other Red Cross volunteers from all over the US. His team members hail from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Indiana, Tennessee and of course, Los Angeles.   

Jerome is currently supporting the response to the devastating Southern California Fires, along with nearly 600 fellow Red Crossers from around the country who are providing support for those affected, including some 580 people staying in emergency shelters.  “Working this response is a little different,” Jerome shared, “As I’m traveling back home each day and still working my regular job at The Cheesecake Factory in addition to supporting our shelter residents.”   

Jerome also noted that event-based volunteers typically come out during large local operations, like some 13,000 people who signed up to support the Red Cross in direct response to the Southern California Fires. While we’re grateful for their help, Jerome hopes that many will continue their work long-term. “They are doing great work,” he said, “we hope to keep some of them involved beyond this response.”   

His advice to anyone who may be interested in deployment is to keep an open mind, stay flexible and, if possible, gain experience by responding to Red Cross calls in one’s home region. By responding to calls at home, new volunteers learn Red Cross policies and guidelines in a setting that is generally less stressful than a full deployment. Jerome encourages prospective volunteers to not let the challenges of deployment hold them back.  

Natural disasters have become more frequent and severe in recent years. Volunteers are needed now more than ever. For more information about our deployments or to sign up to volunteer, go to redcross.org/la. 

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 or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.