Ask yourself how many American Red Cross volunteers does it take to help a devastated community like Houston to get healthy again? I believe you would be surprised.

Randy plays with the children at Pine Burr Elementary shelter

I am continually amazed at the dedication, compassion and caring that drives our volunteers of the Red Cross. I am no stranger to human tragedy. I spent 40 years in the Fire Service.  I retired after 33 years as the Tucson Fire Department Fire Chief and 7 years as the Fire Chief for Mount Lemmon Fire District. I have fought arson and wildfires as a chief officer on two continents. I was assigned for 10 days to the World Trade Center 7 days after the 9-11 attack. In 2021, I spent 2 deployments to Israel to fight 4500 arson/terrorist fires.

For many years, my only experience with the Red Cross was when I commanded residential or multi-family residential fire scenes. Whenever we had displaced families, I requested our emergency dispatchers to contact the American Red Cross and ask for assistance. The Red Cross provided what was needed for the family. That was my last thought about the family. I knew that they were in good hands.

I have witnessed pain, suffering, loss of life and property. I have watched devastated families try to put their lives back together after losing everything. We successfully taught the American public to dial 9-1-1 whenever they experienced an emergency. The public knows to call for the ‘first responders’ when experiencing a house fire, heart attack or some other immediate disaster. First responders are trained to respond quickly and eliminate the hazard and render emergency care to the sick and injured.

Now I must ask – who do you call after the immediate emergency needs are met? Who do you call to help your family after the immediate emergency conditions are addressed?

I found the answer to that question after I retired from Tucson Fire Department. I discovered the American Red Cross. I am still amazed at variety and depth of help they provide to communities like Houston following serious disasters. I had no idea of how deep the Red Cross cares. They are so much more than sheltering.

I knew the emergency response systems for fire, police, and paramedics very well. Have you ever thought about just how complex our emergency response system is? Just how many different individuals and agencies become involve following a call to 9-1-1?

On each Red Cross deployment, I am reminded, that like the emergency 9-1-1 emergency system, the American Red Cross has multiple levels of complexity. The Red Cross cares for many people and communities in need – often concurrently. In many ways disaster response is even more complicated and has so many moving parts that require organization, precision and this is accomplished almost entirely by volunteers!

This week in Houston I spoke with many families recovering from the recent storms. Families that are relying on the Red Cross for almost everything. They are receiving food, shelter and financial assistance. The Red Cross is also providing public health, mental and spiritual health resources.

Red Cross Pine Burr Shelter Supervisor Kim Falk

Shelter manager/volunteer Kim Falk tearfully shared the story of a special family that came to her shelter in desperate need of assistance. The family, consisting of the father, daughter and the grandmother had lost everything. The family had just started to build their forever home when the storm hit. They had just completed the water well and the walls of the home. The rain and wind destroyed everything including the only car they had for transportation. They didn’t know where to turn. A neighbor suggested the Red Cross. They made their way to the shelter where Ms. Falk was working. The family was provided with a place to stay, food to eat and access to mental health and spiritual help. The grandmother suffered from an old back injury. The grand daughter was experiencing acute distress and grief. The Red Cross initiated a session with a mental health counselor the second day of their stay. Just a copy days after the counseling, the young girl was seen skipping down the hallway and whistling (a little out of tune, but still whistling)!

I wish that I could adequately share with the American people just how much our Red Cross volunteer’s care. How much of themselves they give to complete strangers. I spent a fair amount of time this week following around the ERV volunteers on their routes providing nutrition and hope to the people of Houston.

Red Cross volunteer Cheryl Walker & Mariposa Apartment resident Denise Crawford

I was so impressed to see how Red Cross volunteers Cheryl Walker and Jon Burge worked with the residents of the Maricopa Apartment Home complex. By the time I left on the second day, I was so very proud to be a volunteer with the American Red Cross. I was not allowed to leave the dining room without taking pictures of the volunteers with their new best friends.

This my friends, is who we are and what we selfishly give to complete strangers in time of need.

It takes a village of volunteers to feed and care for a Houston community in need.

Story By: Randy Ogden