Growing up in hurricane-prone communities and witnessing firsthand how disasters impact families, Marissa Gleockler brings a deeply personal perspective to her role as a new board member for the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross. Her experiences, both as someone who lived through major storms and as someone who watched communities come together in their aftermath, shaped her understanding of the critical role the Red Cross plays. Today, she is committed to strengthening that impact locally and helping to ensure that families know where to turn when they need support most.

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, I was living in Houston, Texas with my parents and brother. My mom lived in Katy, Texas, while my dad lived in Spring Branch, Houston at the time. Having lived in both Houston and Tampa growing up, we were no strangers to hurricanes and felt that we were appropriately prepared. And as we know, the hurricane devastation primarily took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, a comfortable distance from my home, but not far enough away that we didn’t rally together as a community and feel the effects of the storm.

Being so young at the time, I did not quite understand the nerves leading into the storm, but I definitely understood the aftermath, and I vividly remember our Astrodome becoming a shelter for survivors of the storm and for families who needed additional services. I remember that being a really big deal in Houston and the Red Cross was everywhere. Personally, both my parents’ homes were mostly untouched with the exception of a tree falling into our roof and a few damaged outdoor pieces of equipment.

My dad, who owned an electrical contracting business called Servtech Electric and who briefly lived in New Orleans growing up, spent a lot of time in Galveston and New Orleans volunteering and working to help recover areas that faced a lot of destruction. So, the bulk of what I saw and experienced was assisting with the aftermath and the influx of New Orleans residents finding haven in Houston. I remember the Red Cross being all over the news and within community spaces and played a really big role in the recovery of these affected families.

Many years later, after I had moved to Florida, my same neighborhood in Katy, Texas, was completely flooded and wrecked by Hurricane Harvey, and it was gut-wrenching to watch my old friends and neighbors evacuating their homes and leaving behind so many belongings. I remember my old next-door neighbor posted photos and videos, and I could see my old childhood home under so much water. It was surreal to say the least.

All of that to say, I’ve always known that the Red Cross is a trusted, safe place to turn when disaster strikes, and I always thought of them as first on the scene. Throughout the many storms I experienced myself, and watched friends and family experience, the Red Cross has been a consistent name through it all. You don’t realize how important these services are until you’re faced with it yourself. I have been very fortunate to avoid devastating situations but have always been adjacent to these disasters, which has made me very aware of disaster preparedness and passionate about safe communities. If I can accomplish anything by being on the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast board, it would be to get Red Cross more deeply embedded into our community and become the go-to disaster relief organization.

Since joining the board, I have learned that the array of services that the Red Cross offers is so much wider than I realized and that the organization really touches every aspect of relief in one way or another. I think people would love to know the breadth of services offered so that they understand their involvement or donation goes so far.

Now serving on the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Chapter board, Marissa is driven by both lived experience and a forward-looking vision for her community. Her goal is to help expand awareness of the Red Cross mission and ensure that more people understand the full scope of its services, from disaster relief to preparedness and beyond. Through her leadership, she hopes to deepen the organization’s presence locally, inspiring others to get involved and strengthening the network of support available when it matters most.

Welcome to the Red Cross, Marissa!