Working in Tandem

Written by: Carmela Burke, Red Cross Volunteer

Shelter supervisor David Risard and Feeding associate Jennie Risard made sure Park Fire evacuees staying at the Neighborhood Church site in Chico continued to have nourishment and a comfortable stay at the shelter.

No strangers to American Red Cross response and recovery activities, the husband-wife team from Santa Barbara have been American Red Cross volunteers for 20 years—and proud of their 20-year service pins as well as their  5-digit volunteer identification numbers!

Jennie recalls hearing a radio public service announcement about free training to become Red Cross volunteers.  The Risards lived in Sonora (CA) at that time and began their volunteer tenure with the Sacramento chapter. “We always wanted to help people,” Jennie said. “When their children got older, that was our chance to spend more time as volunteers.”

How does it make them feel to respond to disasters over the years? The couple concurred that volunteering “is very meaningful work and you never know who might need help.” Dave said “it is satisfying to provide assistance to those displaced from home and needing shelter and food while they prepare to move forward.”

To encourage others to volunteer, Jennie said that their volunteerism has inspired other people who also realized there is a lot of need not only locally but all over the country. “Every little bit helps.”