For many of our volunteers, Stanley Shepherd was the face of our response when torrential rains caused major flooding in portions of our region in April. Stanley sought refuge in one of our Red Cross shelters when the basement and first floor of his California, Ohio home flooded. “It’s a mess! That river mud, I’m going to have to throw away everything on the first floor,” Shepherd said when we spoke to him last Spring.

During the flooding, Stanley’s home-away-from-home for several days was the Red Cross shelter in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Oakley where he was under the care and comfort of Red Cross volunteers, including Gladys Watson and Bob Becker. “He’s such a sweet man,” Watson said as she reflected on the trauma Stanley and other flood victims suffered.

There’s often a personal connection that’s made between the Red Cross volunteers staffing our shelters and the clients they serve. “Everybody has been so helpful and friendly,” Shepherd said. “Every Red Cross worker that’s stayed here or just stopped by to check on things. They’ve all been really nice.”