By Betsy Calderon, American Red Cross

Anita Alozo has been a Red Cross volunteer for three years, serving mainly her community in El Paso. Since joining the West Texas Chapter, she has supported five different disaster responses, but during this Disaster Response Operation, she deployed in person for the first time.

When supporting a Disaster Response Operation, Anita typically works in staffing. In this particular disaster, she served as a Workforce and Community Volunteer manager.

As a resident of El Paso, Texas, Anita felt called to help her fellow Texans in need. She packed her bags and drove eight hours to the Greater San Antonio Chapter, which served as the Disaster Response Operation headquarters.

From day one, Anita noticed the difference between supporting a Disaster Response Operation virtually and serving in person.

“I felt like I made more of an impact in person because you can only do so much virtually. I was happy to be able to interact with the volunteers. I also assign people to positions, so it was really nice to see the other side of it,” Anita said.

One experience that stood out to Anita involved helping a volunteer find a better fit within the operation. After deploying, the volunteer quickly realized she was not well suited for the position she had been trained for, so Anita helped her find a role that better matched her interests and skills.

“I'm going to be sad when I leave,” Anita said with tears in her eyes. “I've really enjoyed being here. They're happy tears, but they're also sad tears because I've enjoyed this experience so much. It's been wonderful meeting everybody.”

Anita encourages anyone interested in disaster relief to deploy in person if they have the opportunity.

“Whatever position you take, working with clients and helping them is very rewarding,” Anita shared. “No matter what role you're in, you're going to have a good experience, and the clients truly appreciate our help.”