Heart of Tennessee Volunteer Spotlight, Jim Hopkins - April 2018

Jim Hopkins is seen around the Heart of Tennessee chapter office often, fulfilling many roles. He has been an American Red Cross volunteer since 2005, first volunteering to cut the grass at the old Red Cross office in Murfreesboro.   From there, Jim has taken on many positions.

Jim became a Disaster Action Team responder, eventually becoming a Disaster Action Team captain.  After 5 years of serving in on the DAT team, he decided to move on to PHSS, teaching CPR and First Aid. Eventually this service line was reorganized and he was out of that job.  He then became qualified to teach Disaster Assessment and sheltering.

Jim was born in Erie, PA.  At the age of 17, he took a motorcycle trip with some buddies.  When his motorcycle broke down in Texas, he enrolled in Sul Ross State Teachers College in Alpine, Texas.  After a year and a half, he left school, moved to Dallas and became a draftsman and later a cartographer for an oil company.

Later, his wife Debra was transferred for work. First, they moved to Chicago then eventually to Middle Tennessee to be near Debra’s father.  At that time, Jim worked for State Farm Insurance as a claims adjuster, retiring in 2005.

Jim says he is a jack of all trades and master of none for the Heart of Tennessee chapter office, but no job is too small. You can find Jim painting, doing facility maintenance, landscaping, or whatever needs to be done.   He feels an internal obligation to give back and he cannot think of a better organization than the American Red Cross.  As a volunteer, Jim believes that patience is a virtue and you will need an infinite amount of patience to be a volunteer.

Heart of Tennessee appreciates all that Jim Hopkins has done and continues to do for the American Red Cross.