Written by Niamh Larkin

Jackie Wilkes has called North Florida home her entire life. As both a volunteer firefighter and an American Red Cross disaster volunteer, she was accustomed to being the one who showed up when others needed help. She never imagined that one day, her fellow volunteers would be the ones coming to her aid.

That day came in July, when a fire broke out at Jackie’s mobile home in Calhoun County.

“It’s about two miles to the firehouse and back, but everything had already melted down the side of the house by the time they started spraying water,” Jackie recalled. “They had to come out three times the next day to get all the hotspots completely out.”

Suddenly seeing a home fire from an entirely different perspective, Jackie leaned on both her firefighter and Red Cross training as she began the difficult process of rebuilding her life.

“Usually, I’m the one asking the questions about the fire and what they need. But this time, I was the one answering those questions—and I realized I already knew the answers,” Jackie reflected.

This time, Jackie received the same Red Cross assistance she had provided to families after countless home fires. Instead of putting on her red vest to help someone else navigate the first difficult hours after a disaster, she was the one receiving support.

Since the fire, Jackie has received donated items, found a new place to call home and begun rebuilding her life. But she hasn’t stopped serving. She has already responded to other home fires in her community, continuing the Red Cross mission that was there for her when she needed it most.

“I am a firefighter until I put on that red vest. And then I’m a Red Crosser through and through,” she said.