By: Betsy Calderon

Just over a year after devastating floods swept through the Hill Country, residents once again found themselves facing a major flood disaster. And once again, volunteers deployed to San Antonio to support affected communities. Among them was Nicholas (Nick) Richardson.

Nick deployed last year to assist residents affected by the flooding in Kerrville. At the time, he had been a volunteer with the Lowcountry Chapter in South Carolina for only about a year. Despite being relatively new to volunteering, Nick had already deployed five times, supporting disaster relief efforts in communities across the country.

“I always wanted to get into the humanitarian field, but I never knew how and Red Cross provides a little barrier entry for people who are interested in becoming volunteers to take that opportunity,” Nick says.

During the Kerrville floods, Nick served as the Distribution of Emergency Supplies Supervisor, where he played a key role in supporting a Red Cross partnership with Goodwill to ensure residents had access to items they lost at the flood.

“We partnered with Goodwill where items were donated to the store and residents impacted by the floods could come in and purchase items without any money being exchanged. Everything was free. Everyone was welcome to get items they needed and to shop with dignity,” Nick explained.

Now over a year later, Nick is back at the Greater San Antonio Chapter, where it once again served as our Disaster Response Operation Headquarters for the floods. This time he comes back as an employee for the American Red Cross.

Before becoming a volunteer, Nick worked in Asia and realized he wanted to get into the humanitarian field. He eventually quit his job and returned to the United States and began looking for ways he can make a difference.

 ”I always had a pull towards helping displaced people. I never knew how to do it. And for a long time, I wanted to help with things I saw in the news internationally, these big things that would happen where people would be displaced on a large scale.” Nick said. “When I would talk to people that worked in the humanitarian world, they would always tell me, ‘Start at home’ and I finally took their advice.”

After his last deployment in Kerrville, Nick says it really solidified his place in the Red Cross, and it became clear that this mission was going to be a part of his life, ultimately leading him to pursue a career with the organization. When an opportunity to serve as Regional Mass Care Manager for the Kansas and Oklahoma Region became available, he applied and was selected for the role.

This Disaster Relief Operation marks Nick's first deployment as an employee, serving as the Distribution of Emergency Supplies Manager.

“I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about San Antonio was really special, and I enjoyed my time here.” Nick said. “I wanted to be involved again, with helping to support the recovery. I was really happy to walk in and see so many friendly faces that I worked with last year.”

Nick says that he doesn’t feel any different as an employee than he did as a volunteer. The impact feels the same, and he is proud to be spending more hours each week doing the humanitarian work.

“Starting at home was the best thing for me. I am part of a greater community of humanitarians that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Nick said.

If given the opportunity, Nick says that he would gladly return to San Antonio.

“I will always come back to San Antonio. The people here have been incredible. Being a part of their life, even if it’s during one of the worst moments of their lives, has been impactful for me, and I hope I have been impactful for them,” Nick says.

It's volunteers and employees like Nick who help make a difference for people impacted by disasters. Their compassion, dedication, and willingness to serve provide comfort and hope for families during some of the most difficult days of their lives.