Many choose to celebrate their birthday’s with friends and families, especially when they are milestone birthdays. But Helen Miller rarely takes a day off, especially on her birthday.

“This is not my first deployment on my birthday,” Helen said. “Since my birthday is in October and in the height of hurricane season, I’m used to it. I’ve probably spent 12 deployments on my birthday.”

This year, Helen Miller will celebrate her 80^th birthday deploying to Hurricane Isaias. She’s doing what she says she loves most, helping people when they need it most.

Helen has been a Red Cross volunteer since June 1, 1991. Her journey began when her husband, an active-duty Marine, deployed for Desert Storm. While he served overseas, Helen decided she wanted to serve too and signed up to volunteer with the Red Cross.

More than three decades later, she is still answering the call.

On Oct. 10, Helen deployed from Wilmington to Florida to help people impacted by Hurricane Isaias. The deployment marks her 101st since 2006.

It also means Helen will spend her 80th birthday away from home, supporting communities recovering from the storm.

One of those birthdays even came with an improvised celebration.

“One year they gave me a cupcake with a coffee stirrer and sang me ‘Happy Birthday,’” she recalled.

For Helen, however, deployments are not about milestones or recognition. They are about being there for people facing circumstances beyond their control.

“I do it because I get a satisfaction when we’ve taken care of these people. When something happens like this that they have no control over,” Helen said. “That’s my reward.”

After 35 years of volunteering and more than 100 deployments, Helen continues to show what it means to turn compassion into action.

And as she marks her 80^th birthday, she will celebrate the way she has celebrated many birthdays before, by serving others.