By Abby Boudreau, Communications Volunteer 

If you’ve experienced a home fire in Northern and Eastern Maine, it’s quite likely you’ve met Audra Weisel – a true beacon of hope for those navigating tough times.

“Audra has likely delivered more mission in our Red Cross chapter than any other volunteer, from home fires responses to installing smoke alarms, she is one of our ‘go-to’ disaster volunteers,” said Caroline King, Red Cross Northern and Eastern Maine Chapter executive director.

Audra currently serves the Red Cross in a leadership capacity as the volunteer partner for the community disaster program manager (CDPM) in Northern and Eastern Maine. Together they oversee the disaster needs of seven counties stretching to the Canadian border. But how Audra ended up at the Red Cross is quite different than most – that credit, she says, goes to her daughter – Tova Zsampar.

Tova is a community disaster program manager in Southern Maine who began her work with the Red Cross about two years ago after spending her life inspired by her mother’s desire to help others. 

“She’s just an amazing human being,” Tova gushed about her mom.

When Audra accompanied Tova on a Red Cross assignment to Northern Maine about a year and a half ago, Audra was immediately hooked by the mission.

“She never looked back,” Tova said of her mother. “She became a Red Crosser right then.” 

Audra, who was previously a blood donor, was unaware of the Red Cross disaster response teams and all the volunteer roles the organization had to offer. After this experience with her daughter, she was eager to start her own Red Cross journey.

Audra has quickly risen through the ranks, always eager for the next challenge and to take on more responsibility. Today, she leads her chapter’s Home Fire Campaign program, installs free smoke alarms in her community, provides care and comfort to home fire survivors, helps with volunteer engagement and meets with local fire departments to educate first responders about Red Cross disaster assistance and its home fire safety programming.

Audra and Tova say one of their favorite parts of working with the Red Cross is getting to work together, an opportunity that most mother-daughter duos never get to experience.

“Working together has brought us closer,” Audra said. “I get to see her in meetings and chat with her regularly. We get to share experiences. With your kids, you spend so much time raising them, and they come to you with questions, and the switch is an incredible feeling.”

For Tova, a career in disaster response can be hectic. So, getting to do it alongside her mom provides a unique opportunity to more spend time together they otherwise wouldn’t have.

“We always bounce ideas off each other and share our resources, if need be,” Tova said. “I just know that I can rely on her and give her a call anytime, even in the middle of the night.” 

Responding to these disasters and helping people through some of their darkest days, has had a significant impact on both women. And mother and daughter agree the experience wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t get to do it together. 

“The values my mom instilled in me are the reason I am here. It’s nice to be working together instead of just seeing her go out and do these amazing things on her own,” Tova said. “I love that we get to share these experiences.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Red Cross. Ninety percent of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers. Put on a red vest and join us. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find out how you can support your community today!