By Penny Black

For almost 60 years, one thing has remained constant for James Kavan: showing up.

Since 1969, Kavan has dedicated his life to the American Red Cross. His journey began with a simple opportunity. At the time, Kavan was working as a defensive driving instructor when his boss left for another position. The company needed someone who was Red Cross trained, so he signed up to take an instructor class. What started as a practical decision quickly became something much bigger.

That first class included eight firefighters and two civilians. Together, they became instructors, teaching first aid and safety courses within their communities. Kavan began leading adult education classes, working with school bus companies and building a foundation that would carry him forward for decades.

Over the years, his journey took him across the country. During his time with the Red Cross, Kavan has worked across multiple areas of service, teaching lifesaving skills, responding to disasters, delivering blood to hospitals and contributed to Service to the Armed Forces programs.

“Helping people makes you a better person,” he said. “It makes your heart grow bigger.”

For Kavan, volunteering has always been about people. He enjoys talking, connecting, and listening. His wife jokes that he talks too much, but in his work, that ability has become a strength.

“You’re seeing people on the worst day of their life,” he said. “They’ve lost their house or their apartment. You’ve got to listen to them and let them tell their story. It helps them heal.”

Now 88 years old, his story is defined by a lifetime of service. On April 15, Kavan was awarded the Rosemary Mote and Beth Bormann Lifetime Achievement Award at the Red Cross annual Dallas-Fort Worth Volunteer and Blood Program Leader celebration. This award honors a volunteer who dedicated at least a decade to advancing the Red Cross mission and can be given only once in their Red Cross career. Kavan’s mark on the Red Cross is indelible.

Still, he continues.

Kavan’s perspective on listening to survivors and letting them tell their story has shaped every role he has taken on, from donor ambassador to sheltering volunteer to feeding associate. In disaster zones, Kavan has traveled to wildfires and hurricanes, including deployments to Alabama. As a driver, he met people from all walks of life, forming connections that have lasted long beyond the moment of crisis.

Even now, those relationships continue. He meets regularly with other longtime Red Cross volunteers, a group that has grown older together but remains connected through shared purpose.

“We’re not as active as we used to be,” Kavan said. “But we’re still contributing.”

For Kavan, one of the more outstanding moments during his time at the Red Cross came in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At a shelter, he met a woman who had been separated from her four sisters. Days later, she found them and gave Kavan a big hug for his help. While small, the moment captured everything the work stands for, Kavan recalled.

“The Red Cross family is a support system,” he said. “They deserve credit for allowing us to do what we do.”

For Kavan, volunteering is about becoming better, doing something kind, and being part of something larger than yourself. After nearly 60 years of service, Kavan’s continues showing up with the same belief:

“If someone needs help, you help them.”

And as long as he can, he will.