When someone says, “the hay is in the barn,” it is an acknowledgement of a job well done. It a phrase Hansel Ibarra uses with pride when he describes the partnerships he has helped forge between the American Red Cross and South Texas communities.

              Ibarra is the South Texas Red Cross Community Disaster Risk Reduction Manager. As his title suggests, his job is the help communities mitigate and respond to disasters that may affect the region. Working out of Harlingen, he helps forge collaborative relationships with community organizations to provide needed services before, during and after emergencies. For example, South Texas sustained severe flooding after heavy rains during spring 2025 – an event for which they were prepared.

              “We train all year for this type of event,” Ibarra said. “I was able to see how the Red Cross stepped aside and let local nonprofits be the ones to guide us and tell us where to assist.”

              “That was my Red Cross moment” he said. “As my coach would say, ‘the hay is in the barn.’”

              Ibarra joined the Red Cross in 2023 after nearly a decade of working with local, state, federal and nonprofit organizations to empower vulnerable communities. He specializes in health, hunger and housing initiatives within disaster-prone areas. He earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2019. It was his experience in aiding vulnerable communities that led him to the Red Cross.

              “This is basically what the job is, being out there in the community building relationships, talking to partners and making sure that we are ‘good to go’ when it comes to facing disasters,” he said.