Written by Amber Bierfreund

While hurricanes ultimately steered clear of Florida last year, the American Red Cross still carried out a significant response operation as Hurricane Melissa intensified in the Caribbean. To support storm response and recovery efforts, the U.S. Navy relocated non-mission essential personnel from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Naval Air Station Pensacola. Forecast as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa posed life-threatening risks from extreme winds, flooding, and landslides across the region.

Over one weekend, nearly 900 family members, civilian employees, contractors, and pets were evacuated to Naval Air Station Pensacola, where an Emergency Family Assistance Center was established to coordinate housing, dining, counseling, and support services. Families were permitted to bring only one small bag per person, having to leave behind most belongings with no certainty about how long they would be away from their homes. While evacuations of this scale are uncommon, the Red Cross quickly partnered with the Navy and local agencies to meet the immediate needs of displaced families—demonstrating readiness even without a direct Florida landfall.

Across the operation, Red Cross volunteers supported families in many ways. Disaster Health Services volunteers helped parents manage stress-related health concerns after long flights and emotional separations. Mental Health volunteers provided comfort to spouses caring for young children while loved ones remained behind as essential personnel. Logistics volunteers worked behind the scenes to source cribs, formula, diapers, and pet supplies, ensuring families had what they needed within hours of arrival.

When the call for assistance went out, Barbara, a Red Cross volunteer since 1986, and her husband reported to their Pensacola chapter. They were assigned a critical task: purchasing baby supplies for families arriving from Guantanamo Bay. Always mindful of donor dollars, they carefully selected essential items families would need, balancing quality, familiarity, and cost.

“This was not a typical response for us,” Barbara said. “But the Red Cross was ready for the challenge, and the way our community came together to support these families was truly heartwarming.”

The mission soon became deeply personal. Members of their own family were among those being evacuated. Their daughter remained behind in Cuba as essential personnel, while their son-in-law and grandson traveled thousands of miles from Guantanamo Bay to safety in Pensacola.

To help families feel more at ease, Barbara reached out to her daughter to learn which baby items were commonly sold on base, hoping to provide familiar comforts during an incredibly stressful transition.

“When the families arrived and saw the supplies and services available to them, you could see the relief on their faces,” Barbara said. “That’s when you know the work matters.”

For this family, the moment carried special meaning. After decades of volunteer service—supporting countless families through disasters around the country—they stood ready to welcome their own family home.

They were proud to represent the Red Cross as families deplaned and deeply moved when they embraced their loved ones. That day, their family didn’t just hear about why they volunteer—they experienced firsthand the compassion, preparedness, and care that define the Red Cross mission.

Throughout the response, Barbara’s husband—who served in the Navy Supply Corps before retiring and joining the Red Cross in 2017—also supported operations through Logistics, attending briefings and helping anticipate additional needs. Together with volunteers, military partners, and community organizations, the Red Cross helped ensure families felt supported, cared for, and not alone during an uncertain time.

They were honored not only to support hundreds of military families during an extraordinary operation, but to stand ready for their own—demonstrating how service, compassion, and family are deeply intertwined.