By Ryan Meyer

For Evalyn Smith, retirement hasn't meant slowing down. After decades working as a registered nurse, the Northeast Tennessee resident has found a new way to put her experience to work: volunteering with the American Red Cross.

Her connection to the organization, however, began long before she became a volunteer.

In the early 1980s, Evalyn was serving in the U.S. Air Force on temporary assignment in Hawaii when she received an urgent message. Her stepfather had suffered multiple heart attacks in California, and her mother needed her home.

The Red Cross helped coordinate her emergency return.

"Literally that evening I was on a plane in Hawaii, flying home to California," she recalled. "It was really a blessing. Everything was arranged."

Decades later, Evalyn discovered an unexpected family connection to the organization. While sorting through her mother's belongings, she found photographs and documents revealing that her mother had volunteered with the Red Cross during World War II, driving a station wagon in California to support the war effort.

"She never shared that with any of us," Evalyn said.

The discovery gave her a new appreciation for her family's history of service.

Evalyn moved from Texas to Tennessee in 1996 and spent much of her nursing career working in critical care, including surgical and pediatric intensive care units and emergency departments.

After retiring in April 2021, she eventually returned to an organization that had played an important role in her family's life.

She initially trained in disaster response and damage assessment before discovering Disaster Health Services (DHS), where her nursing background could be especially valuable.

With encouragement and mentorship from fellow Red Cross volunteers, Evalyn completed her training and began supporting disaster survivors both virtually and through deployments.

During virtual disaster responses in Memphis and Knoxville, she contacted families affected by tornadoes to identify urgent medical needs, including replacement medications, eyeglasses, walkers and CPAP machines.

"It's so gratifying to help somebody in Memphis whose home was destroyed and be able to get them that new set of glasses so they can actually read all this documentation," she explained.

She also recalled helping a cancer survivor who had lost her prostheses in a disaster.

"To get these people the items that they need as quickly as you can, I can't even begin to tell you how encouraging and gratifying and fulfilling that is."

Her Red Cross involvement has also created unexpected professional opportunities, including serving as a temporary disaster employee following Hurricane Helene.

Today, Evalyn continues expanding her knowledge of Red Cross operations and encouraging other healthcare professionals to consider volunteering.

"I have friends that are other nurses getting ready to retire, and I've been talking to them about Red Cross," she said.

Her message to them is simple: "You can still function as a nurse, you can still help people."

At 68, Evalyn has no intention of stepping away from service anytime soon.

"There's so much more to learn," she said. "I'm just not ready to retire yet."

The American Red Cross relies on thousands of nurses and other health professionals to bring our mission to life each day. Talented, practical and generous, these volunteers and employees bring relief to disaster victims, work in military hospitals, and collect lifesaving blood. For more information on how to get involved, visit redcross.org/volunteer.