For Jesus Rivera-Rivera, giving back started with a simple habit, but over time, it became a central part of his life.

Rivera-Rivera became involved with the American Red Cross as a young man in Puerto Rico. He began donating blood when he was 20 years old. It was just a quiet way to help out.

His connection to the Red Cross took on a much more personal meaning in the early 2000s when a major hurricane hit the island. Living on the U.S. mainland at the time and desperate for news about his family, Rivera-Rivera came across a video shared online by the Red Cross. He reached out to the Red Cross, and as a result, he was able to connect via satellite phone with someone on the ground who confirmed his father was safe.

That moment stuck with him. He started donating money when he could, but he always felt like he had more to offer.

Drawing on his interests and background as an engineer and project manager, Rivera-Rivera signed up for Red Cross disaster program training and began working as a Disaster Services volunteer across Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. While volunteering at local Red Cross shelters and managing related logistics, he saw firsthand how language barriers could limit access to important information for non-English speakers during a crisis. As a fluent Spanish speaker, he realized he was in a unique position to help fix that.

With the goal of lessening language barriers and building stronger relationships within Spanish-speaking communities, Rivera-Rivera earned emergency medical technician and instructor certifications, enabling him to teach CPR, First Aid, and AED classes entirely in Spanish. He also successfully secured a microgrant that allowed him to reach an even larger group of local Spanish-speaking caregivers and families with his training classes. Additionally, he joined Los Amigos, a team that translates materials and hosts monthly meetings in Spanish to recruit more Hispanic volunteers.

Along with his Spanish-language and disaster services work, Rivera-Rivera continued to support Red Cross blood donation and fundraising efforts, including organizing workplace blood drives that brought in more than 100 donations per session and securing corporate matching funds from his employer.

This month, the Southwest Michigan Chapter officially recognized Rivera-Rivera's years of service and dedication by naming him its Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer of the Year.

Looking back, Rivera-Rivera doesn't see his service as a collection of roles or awards. After experiencing the relief of Red Cross support during a crisis firsthand, he just wants to make sure that same lifeline is there for the next family who needs it.

By Megan Kusulas, American Red Cross communications volunteer