Five dollars and twenty-five cents.

That was the gift Juanita received on a scorching afternoon in Harlingen, Texas. Her beloved but unreliable truck broke down again. This time, the young college student stranded 30 miles from the nearest gas station until a couple stopped and gave her a ride, money to call home, and to buy snacks while she waited. The only thing they said when the 19-year-old girl insisted on paying them back was to “pay it forward”. That was 46 years ago.

An educator for over 30 years, devoted mother, and now, a veteran Red Cross volunteer, Juanita Casanova embodies commitment, purpose, and resilience. At 65, she has no plans of slowing down. Juanita has her sights set on joining the Red Cross’ national public affairs team, becoming a certified forklift driver, continuing to educate more communities on emergency preparation, and recruiting more volunteers. She says, “I don’t want to be unable to help when I’m right there.”

Born and raised in southern Texas, Juanita is no stranger to hurricanes. She attributes her passion for disaster response to surviving hurricane Beulah in 1967. Today, raising awareness and spreading preparedness has become her way of life. She sleeps with her shorts on, wallet in her pocket, and shoes by the bed. She has rubber boots living in her truck and an emergency bag ready for her and her dogs. She lives as she preaches and generously shares with everyone she knows and meets. Even reluctant family members and friends. Preparing emergency kits has become a family affair every year on June 1st. She instilled the habit of preparedness among her grandnieces and nephews, repurposing their backpacks into emergency kits annually. She teaches people the importance of knowing three emergency numbers by heart and keeping them written down on a waterproof card inside their wallets. Even when it’s unpopular among relatives and friends, she goes out of her way to let them know that an overcrowded circuit or an unattended burning candle could start a fire. Every situation or event she attends is a learning opportunity, and each new knowledge is turned into action, passed on to others, and a new item is added to emergency kits.

In 2017, fresh into retirement, she wanted a change. A college friend, who was the Red Cross director at the time, encouraged her to volunteer. Now in her eighth year of serving, Juanita says the Red Cross has added to her quality of life and allowed her to help others improve theirs.

She says it’s never easy to witness people struggling, even tougher when people suffer loss of property and life; These moments leave an indelible mark. She recalled the first event where someone perished in a fire. She recounted how being organized enabled her to do her job and assist those in need. But she’ll never forget what happened next. “Our disaster program manager called and said she wanted to see us in the office in fifteen minutes. I wondered what I did wrong because I was still fairly new back then.” She drove for half an hour in the early morning. When she saw me, she said, “We know there was a death earlier. How are you? Are you ok?” I didn’t expect that, and I appreciated that. It mattered to me that I mattered to them. I realized the Red Cross takes care of volunteers as much as it cares for the clients we’re helping. There is a check system to ensure volunteers return home safely. After that, I was locked in.”

Leading with her faith, Juanita believes in a common purpose, “We’re here to help each other out, lift our brothers and sisters when they’re down. And the only way to do it is by being out there and volunteering. It doesn’t have to be in the Red Cross but just helping out.”

Juanita also values self-care. For her, it’s a 2.5-gallon thermos filled with coffee during hurricane season, in addition to a set of dam bags she recently bought online, and several battery-operated fans. She stays active, spends time in prayer, and indulges in nature photography to sustain her physical, emotional, and mental strength. Over the years, she says she has worked with people from whom she learned best practices. “When I was new, I met Jim. He always had a small notebook in his hand and took notes to make sure nothing was missed or forgotten. He was compassionate and always introduced himself to the client, spoke kindly, and most of all, listened to them. I also worked with this lady who made a notebook with photos so she could show it to people when there’s a language barrier or some reason that conversing wasn’t possible.” And others left her in admiration. “I met a disaster program manager once who, despite the South Texas heat, went out to the community to talk to them and understand their needs. She knew the work and did the work.”

Juanita says anyone can be a volunteer, and there are plenty of virtual and face-to-face opportunities depending on one’s interests. She desires to increase her community outreach and share her photography and visual storytelling skills with the Red Cross’ national public affairs team. She recalled the time she captured flood relief efforts delivered by canoe—an image she hoped would generate more donations for disaster-stricken families and explained, “When words are not enough, photos tell compelling stories that enable us to do more, help more. I’m up to date with the courses and available to deploy at any time. I’m just waiting to be called.”

With her life shaped by others and her own generosity, Juanita’s purpose in life is clear: to be there for anyone in need. And through the Red Cross, that’s exactly what she’s doing, one disaster, one family, and one story at a time

Story By: Khadijah Sali