A Caring Pair
- NEIA Red Cross
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
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 ahead for natural and man-made disasters. At work, he considered the Red Cross a trusted partner.
“As I went into retirement, I remembered my relationship with the local Red Cross chapter and went, ‘I want to be part of them,’” Tim Lewis said. “This was my opportunity to give back to an organization that helped me and my communities so much.”
Marilyn Lewis spent her career in banking, where the career path was straight forward, without any surprises. Becoming a Red Cross volunteer was a transition, but one she blossomed in and enjoyed.
After retiring, Tim and Marilyn Lewis joined their Red Cross chapter disaster action team (DAT). DAT responds to local emergencies, many of which are home fires. DAT members grab their red vests and head to the scene regardless of weather or time of day. They provide crucial support to people as they process the trauma of disaster, and they bring hope of recovery.
The Lewis’ would take turns being the lead DAT volunteer when they responded to a local disaster. Marilyn Lewis would help ensure her husband’s large thumbs didn’t result in inaccurate information being entered as they did documentation from a smartphone.
“We communicated well. We were comfortable enough with each other that it wasn’t offensive to correct something,” Tim Lewis said. “It was a good team effort to serve the clients.”
Tim Lewis enjoyed meeting with those impacted by disaster and convincing them that this is where recovery begins. “There was hope and they can start fresh and that the Red Cross was going to help them do that.”
Marylin Lewis loved interacting with Red Cross clients.
“The ability to bond with them and provide a little bit of peace and comfort to them when they were in the absolute worst crisis of their lives,” Tim Lewis said. “She really loved that part of the job.”
The pair took a break from volunteering when Marilyn Lewis was diagnosed with a degenerative illness about a year ago. The compassion they used to show families who experienced home fires now comes out in different ways. Now it exists within their home, for each other and their loved ones.
As he reflects on their time as DAT responders, Tim Lewis believes there are benefits to volunteering as a couple.
“Responding as a couple really gives a benefit to you because you have a trusted partner right there with you that you already have a built-in relationship with, and it allows you to serve the clients better,” Tim Lewis said. “It’s very rewarding to share that time as a couple, helping someone else when they are in dire need.”
If you and your partner are looking to support your community as volunteers, we have a place for you. Find more information at redcross.org/volunteer.