In 2025, local volunteers became a lifeline for hundreds of neighbors reeling from disasters across our community.

In a powerful display of service, volunteers with our Southeast Chapter responded alongside local partners to more than 250 disasters – most of them home fires. They provided families with safe shelter, hot meals, emotional support and basic health services. Their compassion made a profound difference for those facing their darkest moments.

Among the volunteers answering the call is Disaster Action Team member Almendra Minnaar.

As a member of the team, Andrea responds to home fires, providing comfort to those affected. She has been a volunteer with the Southeast Chapter for over a year. However, her involvement with the Red Cross began when she was 18 years old in her native Argentina. As a volunteer with the Argentine Red Cross in Buenos Aires, she was trained to provide first aid to victims of accidents and disasters.

“When disaster strikes, every second counts. Thanks to dedicated volunteers like Almendra, we can be there immediately after a home fire to bring comfort and hope,” said James Griffith, Executive Director of the Southeast Chapter of the American Red Cross in Indiana. “The need for Disaster Action Team volunteers has never been greater, and I urge community members to step forward and make a difference.”

The need for this support shows no sign of slowing. Across the U.S., Red Cross home fire responses spike nearly 20% during the holidays, when cooking and heating risks increase. In the Indiana Region alone, more than 1,100 people typically rely on the Red Cross after home fires in November and December.

This Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season, visit redcross.org to give back through volunteering.

Our lifesaving mission is also made possible by generous financial donations, which ensure volunteers have the resources they need to bring light to a family’s darkest days — right when it’s needed most.

To read stories of how people in our community and across the region made a difference in 2025, visit redcross.org/inyearinreview.

About GivingTuesday:

GivingTuesday is an annual event dedicated to boosting radical generosity, held on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Created in 2012 at New York’s 92nd Street Y, the idea behind GivingTuesday was to set aside a single day to give back. Over 13 years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires millions of people to donate, volunteer and spread awareness. For many nonprofits, funds raised on GivingTuesday serve as an important kickoff for year-end charitable campaigns.

About the American Red Cross Indiana Region:
The American Red Cross of Indiana Region serves 6.9 million people in 104 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio through its chapters: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Indiana or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @indianaredcross.