Disaster Deployments

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Director

A multi-family fire in Abingdon displaced residents who required sustained emergency assistance over multiple days. The Red Cross mobilized to provide disaster services including shelter, meals, and recovery planning for affected families.

I deployed for 11 days, providing ongoing disaster relief services to displaced families. Working closely with affected residents, I helped coordinate temporary housing and connected families with recovery resources while providing emergency financial assistance and emotional support throughout the extended response.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Manager

A large apartment fire near Foster Avenue in Chicago displaced multiple families, requiring an extended Red Cross response over nine days. The fire brought over 100 firefighters to battle flames and thick black smoke, forcing residents to evacuate into the cold as crews conducted operations that extended for hours.

I deployed for nine days to support displaced households with immediate needs including food, shelter, and emergency financial assistance. Working alongside warming buses that provided temporary relief from the cold, I helped families access Red Cross services while they processed the loss of their homes and belongings.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Manager

A fire broke out in the Lawndale neighborhood, starting on the top floor of an apartment before quickly spreading. Families were forced outside in the cold as Chicago Fire Department crews conducted defensive operations, with flames reigniting even after initial containment.

I assisted displaced households with immediate disaster relief, coordinating with warming buses on site to provide emergency assistance including temporary shelter, food, and relief supplies to help families through the first critical hours of displacement.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Operations Admin

A multi-unit apartment fire in Rock Island displaced multiple families, requiring an extended 18-day Red Cross response. The fire affected numerous residents who needed sustained emergency assistance and long-term recovery coordination.

I responded for 18 days, assisting displaced families with temporary shelter arrangements and meal services while providing information about long-term recovery resources. Working with multiple households over the extended deployment, I helped each family understand available services and navigate their recovery.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Director

An EF2 tornado and unprecedented rainfall brought a rare Flash Flood Emergency to the Quad Cities. Davenport received 4.3 inches of rain with 85 mph wind gusts, forcing the evacuation of apartment buildings on 35th Street and displacing 25-30 residents. The National Weather Service issued their highest-level warning as 144 emergency calls flooded dispatch between 5 p.m. and midnight.

I deployed for 12 days as part of the disaster relief team coordinating with Scott County Emergency Management and local partners. My work focused on connecting displaced residents with emergency shelter, food assistance, and recovery resources as Governor Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation enabling grant assistance for auto repairs, housing, and emergency needs.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Director

A large multi-family fire in Hoffman Estates displaced numerous families, requiring a sustained 30-day Red Cross response. The extended deployment involved coordinating ongoing emergency services, temporary housing, and recovery planning for affected residents over nearly a month.

I deployed for 30 days, providing extended disaster relief services to displaced residents. This was my longest single-incident fire deployment, requiring sustained coordination of shelter, meals, emergency financial assistance, and long-term recovery planning for families working to rebuild their lives.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Sheltering Manager

A residential fire in Blue Island displaced families who required immediate Red Cross disaster assistance. The five-day response involved sustained coordination of emergency services for affected residents.

I provided disaster response services over five days including emergency financial assistance, food, relief items, and health services to displaced residents. Working as part of the Illinois Red Cross response, I helped connect affected families with one-on-one support and available recovery assistance.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Sheltering Supervisor

A residential fire in Little Rock displaced families requiring sustained Red Cross disaster assistance over eight days. The response involved coordinating emergency shelter, food services, and connection to recovery resources for families who lost their homes.

I deployed for eight days, providing disaster relief services to displaced residents including temporary shelter coordination and emergency assistance. Working with affected families, I helped them navigate available resources and begin planning their recovery while addressing immediate needs for housing, food, and essential supplies.

Sheltering Supervisor

GAP Position: Sheltering Supervisor

Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina on September 27, 2024, with record-breaking rainfall of over 30 inches in some areas. The hurricane caused at least 108 deaths, destroyed approximately 1,400 homes, and triggered over 200 landslides that wiped out entire neighborhoods in Asheville, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, and surrounding communities. Critical infrastructure collapsed including a section of Interstate 40 at the Tennessee border, while millions lost access to water, electricity, telecommunications, and healthcare.

I deployed as a Sheltering Supervisor, overseeing shelter operations and also supporting lodging coordination for Red Cross workers responding to one of North Carolina's most catastrophic disasters. Over 14 days, I helped manage sheltering services while the Red Cross provided over 1,948 overnight shelter stays and financial assistance to families whose homes were destroyed. The deployment required navigating severe infrastructure damage to sustain the multi-week relief operation.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Supervisor

Hurricane Debby struck Florida's Big Bend area in early August 2024, bringing devastating storm surge flooding and widespread power outages to communities still recovering from Hurricane Idalia less than a year earlier. The Red Cross opened over 60 emergency shelters across the southeast, providing more than 1,948 overnight stays for displaced residents.

I deployed for 10 days as part of the relief operation supporting more than 250 trained Red Cross responders. My work focused on providing immediate assistance to families whose homes were severely impacted, including emergency financial aid for necessities like groceries and clothing. Working in a region hit by back-to-back hurricanes, I helped coordinate relief services while families cleaned up their homes and planned their recovery steps.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Service Associate

Deadly tornadoes struck Missouri and Arkansas in May 2024, causing widespread destruction across the region. More than 380 Red Cross volunteers from 46 states mobilized to support the disaster relief operation, opening shelters to provide safe refuge and essential services.

I deployed for six days as part of the relief operation. My work included distributing cleaning supplies, providing food and water in impacted neighborhoods, and delivering emergency financial assistance to families whose homes were damaged.

Disaster Responder

GAP Position: Service Associate

Severe flooding struck Arkansas in March 2024, impacting communities across the state including the Hot Springs Village area. The Red Cross mobilized to distribute emergency supplies and provide disaster assistance to affected families dealing with flood damage to their homes and property.

I deployed for eight days, providing disaster assistance to affected families on a case-by-case basis. My work involved damage assessment, distributing emergency supplies, providing financial assistance, and delivering emotional support to residents dealing with the aftermath of the flooding.