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A Caring Pair
Tim Lewis became a Red Cross volunteer first. His wife, Marilyn, soon joined him. “We do most things together. She wanted to do it with me,” Tim Lewis explained. “I thought it would be a good thing for us to do together as a couple.” After working in law enforcement and emergency management for 40 years, Tim Lewis came to the Red Cross as a volunteer already well-versed in the mission. He spent his professional life responding to weather crises and home fires. He also planned
NEIA Red Cross
Feb 133 min read
Nice to Meet You: Cliff Haynes
Cliff Haynes is a community disaster program manager in the Eastern Iowa chapter. He is committed to ensuring that the chapter is prepared to respond to different kinds of disasters and that our incredible team of volunteers is able to serve those affected. He sheds light on what his job entails and how rewarding his role can be. Cliff Haynes on his deployment to the Kentucky floods in 2025 Q: Could you explain what your title means and take us through your workday, or what p
NEIA Red Cross
Jan 84 min read
Volunteer uses planes, boats, helicopters and ATVs to reach affected communities in remote Alaska
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca The Alaska Natives in the Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta, comprising 48 tribes in the region, live off the water and tundra, combining modern living with ancient traditions. But on October 11-12, 2025, Typhoon Halong, with its 100 mph winds and flooding, tore away at their livelihood. It stripped insulation and roofs from homes, sunk fishing boats, soaked floors and cut power, causing many people to lose their homes and the fish and meat stored in chest freez
NEIA Red Cross
Dec 4, 20252 min read
A Year in the Life of an American Red Cross Volunteer
By Beth Roy On November 13, 2024, Angela O’Leary took a major step and applied online to join the American Red Cross. As her three children reached the age of independence, O’Leary had talked with her husband about her goal of becoming more involved in local volunteer opportunities. She hoped to find a way to give back and was excited to try something new. The O’Learys made their home in Nebraska, but it was her memory of seeing the devastating floods in Asheville, North Caro
NEIA Red Cross
Nov 20, 20253 min read
Turn and test to keep your home safe
As daylight saving time ends this Sunday, November 2, we will turn our clocks back an hour. While you’re adjusting your clocks, take a few minutes to test your smoke alarms. This simple action could protect you and your family in the event of a home fire. “Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half,” says Emily Holley, Regional Communications Manager for the Nebraska-Iowa Red Cross. “You only have about two minutes to escape a burning home safely. Every
NEIA Red Cross
Oct 31, 20252 min read
Nebraska Couple Ready When There Is A Need
By Janet Flanagan Most Red Cross volunteers don’t hop in a plane to respond to a local disaster. But Mike and Linda Nielsen of McCook, Neb., have. Since they live in a rural area close to the borders of Kansas and Colorado, Mike Nielsen’s Beechcraft Sierra four-seat airplane can sometimes get them to a Red Cross emergency scene faster than a car. Linda and Mike Nielsen The Nielsens have responded to fires, floods and other disasters in Southwest Nebraska since 2008. They’
NEIA Red Cross
Oct 16, 20253 min read
Celebrating Our Heroes: Volunteer Firefighters and the Red Cross
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca Did you know? Sixty-five percent of firefighters are volunteers, according to the National Volunteer Fire...
NEIA Red Cross
Oct 10, 20254 min read
Retrospective: One Year Since Historic Floods in Northwest Iowa and Surrounding Areas
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca First, a year's worth of rain fell on Northwestern Iowa for three days. Then, the flooding began. In late June...
NEIA Red Cross
Jun 20, 20254 min read
Supporting the health of communities for Red Cross Month
March became Red Cross Month over 80 years ago with a proclamation from President Franklin Roosevelt. Every American president has...
NEIA Red Cross
Mar 7, 20252 min read
Navy Veteran Becomes Red Cross Volunteer
By Aerial Woods Yvonne Lambertson is a proud veteran of 12 years active-duty service in the U.S. Navy, who medically retired in 1997. Her...
NEIA Red Cross
Feb 23, 20252 min read
Nice to Meet You: Shanie Bockmann
Shanie Bockmann works as a disaster program manager. She trains and supports our volunteers and is often on the frontlines during a...
NEIA Red Cross
Dec 10, 20243 min read
Winter Home Fire Preparedness
The winter holidays are upon us. Unfortunately, we continue to see home fires. Home fires are the most common disaster. Between November...
NEIA Red Cross
Nov 20, 20243 min read
Nebraska-Iowa Red Crossers provide hope as hurricane recovery continues
Over the past few weeks, residents of Southeastern states have been coping with the devastation left by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane...
NEIA Red Cross
Oct 20, 20242 min read
Nebraska and Iowa Volunteers answer call to help
It’s been a week since Hurricane Helene made landfall, and the American Red Cross is working 24/7 with dozens of partners to get help to...
NEIA Red Cross
Oct 4, 20242 min read
5 Takeaways from Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month, and we’ve spent the past few weeks posting different ways you and your family can prepare for...
NEIA Red Cross
Sep 29, 20242 min read
When disaster hits close to home, new volunteers step up
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca On April 26, Melissa Chambers was sent home early from work to prepare for bad weather. When the tornado sirens...
NEIA Red Cross
Sep 26, 20242 min read
Nice to Meet You: Rob Wisniewski
Our work on a disaster response begins long before a disaster even happens. It is the job of our Disaster Cycle Services team members and...
NEIA Red Cross
Aug 30, 20242 min read
Caring for pets in a Red Cross shelter
By Janet Flanagan and Peter Teahen Red Cross Pet Liaison Melissa McGill knows that if disaster strikes, it isn’t just people who need...
NEIA Red Cross
Jul 2, 20241 min read
“Above and beyond the call of duty”
Randall Hair, a Greenfield, Iowa resident for decades, had just returned home from the hospital for a fractured ankle when an EF4 tornado...
NEIA Red Cross
May 31, 20242 min read
A Safe, Comfortable Place to Stay After the Greenfield Tornado
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca Where do you go if your home and your relatives’ homes were destroyed by an EF4 tornado, and you were just...
NEIA Red Cross
May 27, 20243 min read
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