John Crepeau has been a proud Red Crosser since 2017. Over the years, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty, serving as a Disaster Action Team supervisor, fleet coordinator and member of the Logistics team. He’s even served as a blood donor ambassador, supporting the collection staff and blood donors in drives across the Central Coast Chapter.

John’s motivation to volunteer comes from his late mother, “who was always willing to donate in any small way she could,” he fondly remembers. Her legacy of generosity continues to drive John’s commitment to making a difference in his community.

“I find that volunteering to help people in times of need gives me a sense of purpose. As a retired engineer, I have the time to share and try to make the most of it by helping others,” John says. “Also, I am often surprised when a blood donor thanks me for volunteering, when they are the one we should be thankful for, by making the effort to donate their blood.” 

Since starting his Red Cross journey, John has deployed to 17 disaster relief operations across the country, supporting impacted communities through sheltering, feeding, distribution of emergency supplies and other roles. “My first deployment was to Hurricane Harvey in October 2017 which affected the Houston area with massive flooding. I was assigned to drive an ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) and distribute meals to affected households north and south of Houston,” he recalls. “We loaded up meals from the Southern Baptist kitchen and drove our assigned route, distributing lunches, and then returned to the kitchen to load up the next meal, dinner for another route. Days were long and we put hundreds of miles on that old, classic Ford ERV still keep contact with my co-volunteers from that first deployment.”

More recently, he was deployed to the town of Lahaina on Maui after destructive wildfires in 2023. There, he took on a new role as a Fulfillment volunteer. The Red Cross introduced a new initiative within the last couple of years called E3: Every Shelter, Every Day, Every Need. A Fulfillment volunteer serves as part of the E3 initiative and ensures that, beyond the standard supplies provided to all shelters, any special needs for a particular shelter are addressed.

“There were about 30 shelters set up for those displaced by the wildfires. Our teams would visit each shelter daily, obtain a list of what was needed and then shop for the items. The next day we delivered all the items they needed, got a new list of items and began the process over again. The shelter managers were very thankful for the rapid delivery of those supplies at each shelter.”

After retiring from a 46-year career as an engineer, John enjoys spending time with his family, especially his three grown children and his eight grandchildren. His wife has been a pillar of support throughout his volunteer journey.

“She has been extremely supportive of the work I do and likes to share my stories with others,” he said. Besides his work with the Red Cross, John also volunteers at Laguna Seca Raceway in hospitality, combining his passion to provide hope to those in need with his love for automobile racing.

Because of his commitment and dedication, John was honored in June with the Central Coast Chapter’s Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership. This is the highest honor for chapter volunteers, highlighting their significant contributions through various leadership positions held during their Red Cross tenure.

“To me, the award is a way of expressing thanks from other Red Crossers who share the same spirit. I am humbled (and surprised) that I am the recipient of this very special Red Cross award,” John said.

Looking ahead, John hopes to continue his deployments with the Red Cross for as long as he is healthy and fit to do the work. He encourages anyone who is considering volunteering to take the leap.

“I would emphasize the satisfaction factor of helping others on their worst days.”