American Red Cross volunteers Richard (left) and Caroline Matera (middle), consult with Vincent Hand about how to find damaged properties in Chinese Camp.
Among the unsung heroes of American Red Cross disaster responses are the families of Red Cross volunteers, whose loved ones may be away for holidays and important occasions while they are helping those affected by a disaster. Then there are those couples who eliminate that problem by joining the Red Cross together with their family members.
San Mateo County volunteer Barbara Wood, who says she missed her 25th wedding anniversary, Thanksgivings, Easter, her own birthdays and numerous other occasions while volunteering for the Red Cross, ran into one of those couples this fall. Caroline and Richard Matera of South Lake Tahoe were volunteering in Chinese Camp near Sonora where at least 50 homes were destroyed in a Sept. 2 lightning-sparked fire.
Because mapping in the rural area is problematic, the couple, who have volunteered for the Red Cross for more than a decade, had a difficult job documenting exactly which homes were destroyed or severely damaged. But they persevered, helping make sure the residents who lived in the most impacted homes have the documentation needed to receive help.
Caroline and Richard started their Red Cross careers as members of the local Disaster Action Team (DAT) in 2014, responding to fires and other smaller scale disasters, and are still the primary responders to all DAT calls in their area.
They also represent the Red Cross at community events, including a Fourth of July parade, recruiting other Red Crossers from the region to help. The Materas are also national disaster responders and drive Red Cross emergency response vehicles. “We like doing stuff that we can do together,” Caroline said.
They once drove a Red Cross emergency response vehicle from Yuba City to Orlando, which took them nearly five days. Once they got to Orlando, the Materas loaded the vehicle with food they delivered to the affected neighborhoods. Their vehicle didn’t have a radio so “Rich had to sing,” Caroline says.
When the Matera’s home city of South Lake Tahoe was evacuated during the Caldor Fire in 2021, Caroline and Richard went to Reno where the Red Cross had opened an evacuation shelter and set to work helping their neighbors who were staying in the shelter.
Volunteering together is a great way to grow your relationship with your sweetheart and ensure you don’t miss any special occasions! Visit redcross.org to find out more about volunteering.
Richard is greeted by a friendly cat in Chinese Camp, where he is helping to document the damage caused by a fire that destroyed many homes.
Caroline (left) chats with local resident Polina Ken (middle) and fellow volunteer Darlene Avery.
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