The February volunteer spotlight recognizes Kelly Rinehart
of Cross Plains. Kelly is originally from Southern California, and moved to
Tennessee two years ago when her husband retired. She started volunteering with
the Nashville Area Chapter in September 2017. She serves as a disaster action
team member, does disaster assessment, and is also a Home Fire Campaign lead.
Kelly’s husband, Rick, heard on the radio that the American
Red Cross needed volunteers to respond to Hurricane Harvey. The couple called
the same day to sign up to volunteer. On the day of their volunteer
orientation, the remnants of Hurricane Harvey moved through the Nashville area
and some communities were affected with flash flooding. The next morning, Kelly
and Rick helped with disaster assessment. “[Red Cross] called me the next day
and I was off and running again,” Kelly said.
Kelly went on her first deployment to help with the wildfire
relief efforts in California in October 2017 and is willing to deploy again
when needed.
As a member of the disaster action team, Kelly is on-call to
respond to disasters, like home fires and floods, to offer Red Cross assistance
to meet victims’ immediate needs like shelter, food, and clothing. Kelly
recalls a memorable response: Kelly and Rick responded to a mobile home fire
that displaced a couple that had been married for 20 years. They gave them warm
blankets and started the process for the couple to receive assistance. Kelly said,
“They both gave me a hug, and thanked me for everything I had done for them. It
was cold outside. They didn’t have a warm house anymore or a warm meal. All they
really had was each other, their kitty, and the blankets that meant so much to
them. That was a turning point for both Rick and me.”
When asked what keeps her coming back to volunteer with the
Red Cross, Kelly said, “It makes me feel good to give back to others. Even when
you don’t have the funds to give, you have time that’s free to give.”
Thank you, Kelly, for your dedication to the Red Cross
mission!
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