“We’re grateful to the Red Cross for helping us in those first awful days”

February 21, 2024. San Antonio, Texas.
American Red Cross volunteer Lucy Medina responds to an early morning home fire in San Antonio, Texas, with Jesus Castro, senior disaster program manager of the Red Cross Central and South Texas Region. Together, they surveyed the extent of the fire damage before providing assistance to the family who lived there.
As a member of the local Red Cross Disaster Action Team, Lucy says volunteers are needed because they’re collectively on call 24/7 to help whenever needed: “Sometimes you just want to stay in bed and don't want to go out, but you do it anyway because you know that there’s other people suffering, and you can give up your warm bed to go help someone that's out in the cold with nowhere to go.”
Originally from Nebraska, Lucy traces her heritage back to her parents who are from Mexico. After serving in the U.S. Air Force out of high school and then retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, Lucy began her volunteer journey in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey. She now holds multiple volunteer positions providing core relief services, such as supporting emergency shelters, distributing meals and supplies, and driving emergency response vehicles.
Reflecting on the lessons she's learned over the years through volunteering, Lucy shares: "You have to be patient, compassionate, and you meet so many people from all different walks of life that they teach you sometimes how to accept what things that they can't change. And you're able to be there for them and try to be a shoulder for them to cry on.”
She encourages others who want to give back in a meaningful way to become Red Cross volunteers: “If you have extra time on your hands and you're looking for something to do, this is a worthwhile organization because you never know when you're going to be in need of the Red Cross, and that's what we hear so often from the clients that we help."
Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

Disaster relief volunteers survey damage at the scene of a home fire in 2024. American Red Cross archives photo.

October 07, 2025

By Stephanie Babyak, Red Cross volunteer

October is Fire Prevention Month, and every year at this time, the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign gets underway. The campaign's goal is to prevent home fires and help families prepare through events like Sound the Alarm, where volunteers install free smoke alarms and educate the public on fire safety.

In 2024, National Capital & Greater Chesapeake (NCGC) volunteers assisted more than 2,400 households affected by some 1,300 disasters, the majority of which were home fires.

Behind these numbers are the stories of survivors experiencing grief, hopelessness, and confusion at the loss of their homes and belongings. At the same time, families express grateful appreciation for the Red Cross volunteers who offer help, support and understanding that enable them to take the first steps toward recovery. These are families much like our own.

"We’re getting through it, thanks to the Red Cross”

A family in Delmar, Maryland, loved their small home with a flower garden and above-ground pool they enjoyed in summer. Then one night in October 2024, a home fire took all of that. Smoke, water damage and mold made the home uninhabitable. “We were left with the clothes on our back. We don’t have family in the area, so no one was there to help us. The Red Cross was the only ones who helped us out,” the mother said. With disaster assistance from the Red Cross, the family was able to find a place to stay and begin the long road to recovery. “We have our lives, and we’re grateful for that, and we’re grateful to the Red Cross for helping us in those first awful days.”

The daughter of a Baltimore County resident woke her up at 4:30 a.m. and said the apartment next door was on fire. They escaped with some photographs and her grandmother’s dresser. Everything else was lost in the fire. The Red Cross responded that night and provided financial assistance, which allowed the family to stay in a hotel. “The Red Cross was amazing,” says the grateful resident. “They were right out there when they were called. I appreciated all they did for us.”

A Harford County, Maryland, family didn’t know where to turn as they watched their home go up in smoke. Then Red Cross volunteers from the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region arrived to offer comfort and assistance. The insurance company put the family up in a hotel, and the Red Cross provided each family member with financial support to help them buy clothes, food, medication and cover other immediate needs. “We lost everything we owned in the fire. It’s been so hard, but we’re getting through it thanks to the Red Cross,” the mother said. “We’re grateful for the help and support.”

Staying safe

A fire can destroy everything that makes four walls a home in two minutes – and sometimes, even less. There are two things you can do right now to protect your family.

First, test your smoke alarms monthly to be sure they are in good working order. Second, practice a two-minute home fire escape plan with your family to be sure that everyone can get out safely in the event of an emergency. Download the Red Cross Emergency App for tips for expert tips and tools to protect your loved ones in the event of a disaster.

As with these three families and many others, the Red Cross is there to provide help and support following a disaster and to help families navigate the long road to recovery. If you’d like to do more to support the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, you can make a donation to support our work helping families impacted by home fires.

“We were left with the clothes on our back. We don’t have family in the area ... The Red Cross was the only ones who helped us out. We have our lives, and we’re grateful for that, and we’re grateful to the Red Cross for helping us in those first awful days.”