Meet Madelyn Cartagena— an all-star American Red Cross volunteer who supports the damage assessment team. Although she now resides in Florida, Madelyn was born and raised in Manhattan, New York. Her family is Puerto Rican, and she is the mother to two wonderful boys and a grandmother or 'abuelita' to two foster babies. During her time in New York, Madelyn participated in various hobbies, including racing motorcycles, working on cars, surfing, skydiving, and modeling. She was also an avid volunteer helping patrol subways and neighborhoods in the city and helping the elderly, those without a home, and animals. She moved to Florida many years ago when her two sons were young and continued volunteering.
Madelyn joined the Red Cross in October 2016 and shared, "The Red Cross is one of my top missions. It is worldly and all about global humanity, and I can extend my passion on a global scale with the Red Cross." She volunteers because she loves helping others and improving the world. She aims to help and prevent human suffering in the face of all types of emergencies. During her time with the Red Cross, she has deployed to more than seven disasters, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and Hurricane Fiona in 2022. In fact, when Madelyn first joined, it was around when Hurricane Matthew was making its way to Florida. She served as an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driver during that deployment until she extended her stay and was reassigned to help with damage assessment.
Madelyn is an integral part of the damage assessment (DA) team. She has served on DA teams for most, if not all, of her deployments. In her role, she canvasses affected communities to assess the damage and destruction left behind by disastrous events. Damage assessment teams provide vital information about a disaster's impact, which helps inform the delivery of essential Red Cross services to affected residents. Madelyn said, "I take this job very seriously. It is a task that requires you to stay focused and assess correctly so that the following phase gets underway immediately since this part will determine the type of help needed after the assessment." As part of the DA team, Madelyn has encountered a variety of situations on deployments that require flexibility and adaptability. Additionally, Madelyn appreciates the various volunteer opportunities that the organization offers, along with the guidance provided to help execute each task correctly.
During her time at the Red Cross, Madelyn has experienced a lot and has many interesting stories under her belt. From being an ERV driver to being in the field conducting damage assessments to managing the emotions of people affected by disasters, Madelyn performs her volunteer responsibilities with grace and compassion. She treasures her time with the Red Cross and tells us that working with the Red Cross is an absolute honor.
In addition to being a Red Cross volunteer, Madelyn also devotes much of her time to volunteering with other organizations. Along with a law enforcement friend, she helps mentor hundreds of kids, assists them with fundraising, and supports kids’ participation in various sporting activities at the ESPN Sportsplex in Orlando, FL. Madelyn has also founded an advocacy organization for law enforcement, military members, firefighters, and first responders. In addition to her many volunteer roles, Madelyn volunteers with a local animal rescue. She has helped save more than 17 puppies and dogs after returning from her Red Cross deployment in Puerto Rico last year. Madelyn is also an advocate for women and children and helped win approval to build a home that now houses over 500 women and children, includes a medical clinic and daycare, and provides job training skills.
Volunteering is a huge part of Madelyn's life; she would not give it up for anything. She said of the Red Cross, "I am grateful and honored to be a part of such a humanitarian organization." She loves to help others by bringing them comfort, relief, and hope and believes that all volunteers bring the good in them to the Red Cross, which fosters unity.
The Red Cross is always looking for compassionate and devoted volunteers to help in their mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies. For information on ways to get involved, please visit redcross.org/SFLvolunteer.
Written By Sarai Logan, American Red Cross Public Affairs