The American Red Cross Disaster Workforce Team hosted a Deployment Appreciation Event on Feb. 27 in Philadelphia for Southeastern Pennsylvania volunteers and staff who deployed in-person or virtually to assist with Red Cross disaster relief operations in 2023. Honorees were served dinner and were presented with certificates for each of their deployments. 

“The Red Cross is responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as we did a decade ago to help families and communities struggling with more frequent and intense disasters,” said Red Cross SEPA CEO Jennifer Graham. 

In 2023 alone, the U.S. experienced an all-time high of 28 billion-dollar plus disasters that ravaged communities and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from severe storms, floods and wildfires. 

“This is all part of the climate crisis, that have seen us responding to more disasters in more places, more frequently,” said Graham.

The region was well represented across the country in 2023. In total, 85 SEPA Red Crossers deployed 212 times in support of 23 national and 2 local disasters. Twenty-four volunteers and staff deployed for the first time, gaining valuable experience in their respective disaster GAPs (group/position/activity).  Twenty people deployed twice, and 16 people deployed between 3 and 6 times!

During the presentation, SEPA Regional Disaster Officer Lisa McGee spoke about her deployment to Maui, Hawaii, during which she served as the deputy job director for three weeks. In that role, she was responsible for hiring and training temporary disaster employees or TDEs. In the case of Hawaii, those temporary employees were impacted by the wildfires themselves and many were staying in shelters.

“The first day I taught the TDEs during their bootcamp, I was overwhelmed because I could feel their sorrow,” shared McGee. “As the week progressed, when they could see the investments that the Red Cross was making in them, the mood evolved. They began to have laughter and the feeling of getting back to normal life.”

McGee asked the five SEPA volunteers and staff who also deployed to Hawaii to share a word of significance about their experience.

Red Cross volunteer Fred Lehman, who traveled to Lahaina prior to the wildfires with his family, deployed to Maui twice for a month each time. He shared the word “gratitude.” 

“I’m grateful for what the Red Cross did there. I’m grateful I was able to be part of it. The folks there were grateful to us,” he said.

Volunteer Ken Soondar, who has deployed five times in three states including Hawaii, shared the word “challenge.” 

“Every disaster is totally different. Every situation is different. We give hope, we give compassion, and we give our humanity,” said Soondar.

Eileen Rall’s word is “resilience.” She deployed to Hawaii, Guam, California and Florida in 2023. In Maui, she was part of the Integrated Care and Condolence Team (ICCT), which worked with the families of the people who died in the wildfire. She also shared the word “ohana,” or family. 

“I feel like we all became part of their family, and a little part of me will always be left behind with them,” she said.

If you’re interested in volunteering as an American Red Cross disaster team member, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

Check out our Flickr album for more photos from Deployment Recognition Event.

PHOTO: American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania volunteers and staff who deployed to disaster relief operations in 2023. Photo by Photo by Katerina Luchinina / American Red Cross

- Written by Alana Mauger