By Volunteer Jennifer Johnson
One spent 26 years in law enforcement; the other spent two decades as a medical device sales rep. On paper, Ron Melcer and Donna Swope have entirely different resumes—but at the American Red Cross, they both found their perfect niche responding to crises.
Ron deployed this week to the Northwest to help with wildfire relief efforts as a Government Operations team member. He will be the communication link between the Red Cross and all levels of government agencies. Donna flew to Illinois the week before to help transition shelter residents to more sustainable housing after tornadoes devastated counties to the south and southwest of Chicago.
What drew Donna to volunteer almost two years ago was an innate desire to give back during semi-retirement in her early 60s, but the role satisfied another lifelong passion.
“I live for traveling,” the Brick Township resident said.
“The idea of being able to deploy to different areas and be able to support and help people, probably on the worst day of their lives, just sounded like something that was so rewarding and it also fed that part of me that loves to travel.”
When Donna was sent to Arkansas and Texas to aid flood victims last year, she was shocked by the resilience of the community, especially one woman raising three children and battling cancer.
“The mom was young. She was sweet, but her children just radiated light,” Donna remembered. “I expected them to be withdrawn and traumatized and within the first five minutes, the little girl is climbing up on my lap and showing me her toys. The little boy came over and gave me a big hug. It's almost like you're not prepared for that, but so grateful for it. It was just incredible.”
Weeks later, after Donna returned home, the woman reached out to express her gratitude and Donna knew her service had made an impact, which, as she said, “Makes it all worthwhile.”
Much like Donna, Ron finds his reward in the reactions of those he helps; his work is paid in smiles. He said,
“When you're able to provide something that changes that look of depression into smiles, that stands out.”
The Gloucester County resident has been volunteering with the Red Cross since 2024. After retiring from law enforcement, the 72-year-old wanted to continue serving his community. His wife was already a Red Cross volunteer, so Ron went on the website to research available positions. What initially drew his attention was doing presentations to help people prepare for emergencies and disasters. Then, as he was watching TV coverage of the devastation following Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, he also submitted an application with Disaster Services. After training, Ron was deployed there to work with Red Cross sheltering and feeding.
Stepping into a disaster zone required a familiar mindset, drawing on a lifetime of mentally bracing for the unexpected. “From my training in the past, you go through scenarios in your mind and what you might run into. You hope for the best, but you plan for the worst,” he said.
Putting that preparation into action, Ron also focuses on teaching communities how to protect themselves before disaster strikes. In doing so, he has uncovered profound, unexpected connections.
During a fire safety presentation at a senior center, Ron got a request to speak to blind community members. What began as a standard presentation quickly evolved into a powerful conversation; Ron realized that the blind members' incredible muscle memory actually gave them an advantage in navigating a smoke-filled home compared to those who rely solely on sight. This humbling experience reinforced his passion for triggering critical emergency preparedness thoughts in people's minds. Ultimately, Ron said he discovered that the desire to serve is “contagious, because it makes you realize you can make a difference.”
You don’t need an emergency response background to protect your community. Help make the spirit of volunteering contagious in your own neighborhood. Turn your compassion into action today by volunteering with the American Red Cross. LEARN MORE about local volunteer opportunities near you and apply today!
HOW YOU CAN HELP Families are depending on the Red Cross for assistance right now, and we need your support. Help people affected by western wildfires and other disasters. Donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country.
