by Jill Feldon LaNouette

In 2022, Jesse Kilgore was serving in the U.S. Army in Germany when he got an unexpected call. Thanks to the smart thinking of his sister – who is also a veteran – and the American Red Cross’ emergency communication service, Jesse learned that his father was dying. He needed to get to Los Angeles right away so he could say goodbye.

But Jesse didn’t have the money to fly halfway across the world. So once again the American Red Cross came through. Jesse was gifted with the cost to fly to LA just before his father passed away.

That experience inspired Jesse to pay back the Red Cross “not with money, but with my own labor,” Jesse said. He signed up to help the Red Cross with disaster services. Communities and families depend on the Red Cross and its volunteers to provide comfort and support following a disaster such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes by opening shelters, providing warm meals, offering critical financial help and supporting them through the recovery phase among other services. 

Deployment in Guam

When Typhoon Mawar hit Guam in 2023, Jesse was deployed as a Red Cross volunteer for the first time. His job: to stay on the island for three weeks and help families recover. He stayed on an extra week because, he confessed, “I’m a little greedy. It makes me feel good to help.”

Not that the deployment was quite easy. After the devastating typhoon hit, buildings were destroyed, bringing down nearly all the power, phone and water services. More than 150 people had to be sheltered in an elementary school gym, fed and comforted by Red Crossers and community partners.

Jesse added that “training by the Red Cross is great but it will never prepare you for what you are going to see.” The area had been severely impacted due to the typhoon, leaving foul smells, severe injury and animals astray. Jesse remained flexible throughout his deployment, ready for whatever may come his way.

Ready for more

Undeterred by that very particular experience, Jesse accepted two more Red Cross deployments in other disaster areas, including working at a warehouse in Houston where he delivered supplies to people affected by a flood. “Working in the warehouse helped me learn so much more about how the Red Cross works,” he said.

While he awaits his next deployment, Jesse has gotten his family involved with the Red Cross. His wife, Addie, participates in Sound the Alarm events where, in partnership with local fire departments, volunteers install fire alarms in people’s homes at no cost, share fire safety information and work with the residents to create escape plans. His son, Leon, also is going through Red Cross training.

“I love the Red Cross. And I’m really grateful that I get to serve with them,” Jesse said. “The Red Cross makes it easy to be a hero and a good person. If you like to give kids lollipops and see them smile, and then give an adult something that makes them smile in the same way, it makes you feel really good that you are doing good things for other people.”

Serving when called

Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Gameelah Mohamed said, “Jesse has blown me away with his passion for service. When I first heard Jesse talk about the importance of giving back, I knew he was an amazing person! He doesn’t hesitate to answer the Red Cross call for service. His desire to help others has not gone unnoticed…and I am so grateful he’s on our team!”

Thank you for joining our Red Cross family, Jesse!