National Volunteer Week – Kathleen Doughty

By Kevin Sandell, American Red Cross communications volunteer

As board chair, leading the efforts of an organization’s board of directors is not for the fainthearted. A lot is riding on the board’s ability to guide the organization to meeting its objectives. For the current Board Chair of the American Red Cross South Central Kentucky Chapter, serving with the chapter’s board is an opportunity for the chapter to reach new heights. 

“We have a big potential, but we’re just tapping that potential,” Kathleen Doughty, the chapter’s Board Chair, said.

Doughty, who has lived in Kentucky for nearly three decades, has served on the chapter’s board since July 2017. Her roles not only include facilitation of the board’s meetings, but also directing the efforts of the board to guide the local Red Cross chapter in serving its local communities.

Doughty said the board is comprised of 12 members from all walks of life. She previously worked in higher education and then a local home healthcare agency. After leaving the education and healthcare fields, she opened her own business, which specializes in laser-engraved, personalized gifts and holiday ornaments. 

Her father’s service as a firefighter paramedic in Massachusetts inspired her interest in emergency and disaster response at a young age. She served as an emergency dispatcher in South Carolina and Kentucky but wanted to be able to “see the action, instead of just hearing it on the phone and through the radio,” she said. At that time, women firefighters were not common in the fire service, so she decided to earn her paramedic certification, and eventually earned the rank of lieutenant in a paramedic department in Charleston, South Carolina. 

While working as an emergency dispatcher in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Doughty said a police officer in the department served on the local Red Cross board, which also intrigued her about board membership.

Serving in South Carolina, Doughty said the state endured several hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 hurricane. It was at that time where she saw the American Red Cross in action providing support to local affected communities. She said it is important for everyone to do something to mitigate the effects of disasters.

“Disasters don’t discriminate,” Doughty said. “People may be fine, and others lose everything. [Disasters] go where [they] want to go. Everybody needs to be doing something.”

Emphasizing the need for people to step up during disasters, she added, “There’s a lot of ways for people to volunteer. You can do as little as you want or as much as you want.”

Doughty, who is a “big blood donation supporter” said the South Central Kentucky Chapter wants to increase awareness and understanding of donating blood and the importance of working smoke alarms in homes and businesses. The Red Cross South Central Kentucky Chapter serves 22 counties in Kentucky, and serves as the Service to Armed Forces station at Fort Knox, the U.S. Army base south of Louisville.

Learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross at redcross.org/volunteertoday

Volunteer Highlight - Priscilla Johnson

By Kevin Sandell, American Red Cross communications volunteer

Over her seven year period volunteering with the American Red Cross, Priscilla Johnson seems to have done it all. She has served in media relations, biomedical services, a community volunteer lead and government liaison, caseworker, and with the Disaster Cycle Services. The work, she says, gives her the opportunity to strengthen ties and help vulnerable populations.

“It’s so satisfying helping those vulnerable people and families,” Priscilla said. “My volunteering gives me the opportunity to make new acquaintances, learn new skills, strengthen ties to our beloved community, and broadens my network to people of common interest.”

The Lexington, Kentucky native, who serves with the Bluegrass Area Chapter under the American Red Cross Kentucky Region, said many people believe her many jobs with the Red Cross are paid positions.

“Most folks think it’s a paid opportunity job and not a volunteer, because I give it my heart and 100% commitment,” she said. 

The Red Cross does a good job of treating her with dignity and recognizing and awarding her volunteer work, she says. She was inspired to serve with the Red Cross after her brother started working with the Red Cross Wheels Service to drive patients to and from their medical appointments. Recently diagnosed with cancer, he used the opportunity to keep his mind busy and distracted from his diagnosis. Although her brother eventually succumbed to cancer, Priscilla said the Red Cross “helped prolong [his] life,” as he loved serving other patients as a Red Cross volunteer. 

“[It] makes me tear up every time I think of this opportunity he was given,” Priscilla said.  

The personal connection to the Red Cross means a lot for Priscilla. 

“I have a strong passion for the Red Cross because I believe that my volunteering can continue to make positive impact on the community and around the world while also gaining valuable experience and skills,” she said. “The personal connection and passion for the cause affords me the eagerness to contribute and keep coming back.”

Serving with the Red Cross is important for others to consider because it “truly provides the sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills,”  and gets people out of their comfort zones, she said. “I'm a people person and I know I can sleep good at night knowing I tried to help someone.”

The Reliability and Devotion of House on the Hill

Joel Hawkins with Halie Chamberlain

How do we combat over half of Americans living one crisis away from homelessness? With agencies like House on the Hill (HotH) who work diligently to provide access to fresh food and housing to low-income families. We spoke with Joel Hawkins, Executive Director at HotH.

“House on the Hill formed in 2010 in Mississippi,” said Joel. They reestablished in Bowling Green, Kentucky. “We have a food box program that we run. We currently serve 250 families per month… With the help of Red Cross and other agencies, we opened a free grocery store in one of the small communities in the county.”

The families that receive food boxes can now have a shopping experience and choose the produce and goods they want to take home. “Empowering families is one way we have been trying to combat the stigma of poverty,” said Joel. “The work we do focuses on the dignity of the clients we serve. The grocery store program is one of those ways we try to instill dignity. It empowers the family to come make their own food choices. But it also gives them the opportunity to shop at a grocery store instead of sitting at home and waiting on a box to be delivered.”

Our Red Cross Community Adaptation Program (CAP) has allowed HotH to advance their service to communities in Warren County. CAP is centered around communities that are at high risk for extreme weather and face socioeconomic challenges. CAP strengthens local nonprofits and their programs before a disaster and seeks to serve families hit hard by this new increasing state of climate disasters. “With CAP, we have received a forklift, a walk-in cooler to provide fresh produce, and a deep freezer we keep proteins in,” said Joel. 

His team is working to turn their focus to affordable housing options for low-income families. “This partnership with Red Cross has allowed us to look at innovative solutions to meet those needs. Whether it’s food, housing, or other programs. We also know a lot of health issues are created because of the housing situations our families are in. So, to be able to provide safe, inhabitable, affordable housing for low-income folks is now on our horizon because of the work.”

The housing program will look to build new houses in neighborhoods that provide common amenities. It will have supplemental aid if families are unable to make rent or pay utility bills on a given month if finances are tight. “Through this program, they won’t have to face getting evicted,” said Joel. While the 2021 western Kentucky tornadoes brought a focus to marginalized communities, Joel wants the spotlight placed on the kindness and service of the people.

“That’s what I’d love for the story to be is how neighbors help neighbors. We have many people who want to volunteer at the grocery store… Our neighbors are coming together all the time in little pockets around the community,” he said. Joel told us about how agencies showed up with little to do after the tornadoes because community members had already jumped in to do clean up.

He’s most proud of the stability that HotH provides. “We don’t just show up, provide a little bit of help, and leave. We stay.” One of their goals is to develop a community garden and pavilion on the property of the grocery store.

Joel is married to Jackie, and they live on a small farm in Warren County with a couple of miniature horses and dogs. Their son, Jackson, is an artist teaching glass blowing at University in Missouri.

Joel with his wife and son.

Kaitlin Gonzalez: DE&I Beyond Expectations

While diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have become buzz words, people like Kaitlin Gonzalez have been doing this significant work for years. She is a DEI expert, conducting trainings and consulting businesses. She facilitated a training with the American Red Cross Western Kentucky chapter, which led her to become a board member. “Our goal is to make our board diverse. We are working on attracting board members who look like our community. Our board members understand cultural sensitivity. It’s important for people to feel like they belong and are accepted,” said Kaitlin.

Kaitlin believes our differences can inspire positive change. “It's important for people to know about DEI so we have an awareness of differences and similarities. We don’t have to be fearful of those differences; They can bring strengths. We should embrace it and harness it for the good.”

She is passionate about the international community. Kaitlin previously taught English as a second language (ESL) at Owensboro Technical Community College and Daviess County High School. She also worked for a nonprofit organization in refugee services. “In ESL classes, we taught skills such as everyday activities which might have been different than what they were used to in their home country. Providing cultural orientation,” she said.

Her interest in international cultures led her to explore international law. She began teaching International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at Daviess County High School, a learning experience offered through the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). IHL is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.

“Towards the end of our program was the invasion of Ukraine. We were able to look at real life examples and see what was happening in current day. We discussed what was following the rules of law. It’s so good for students to learn about it because they have history classes. It goes so well with what they are learning in school. It makes them think more complex and engage in critical thinking; Think about situations that aren’t just black and white. We would ask, ‘What would you do in this situation?” Kaitlin explained.

Her background with refugee services led her to discover our Restoring Family Links (RFL) program. RFL provides free and confidential services to help families reconnect during times of disruption. Kaitlin recently completed her training to become a RFL caseworker. “This is a perfect fit for me… I’m happy I get to work with the refugee population again and help them in this way of reconnecting with family.”

She is also a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member. DAT teams respond to personal emergencies like home fires to provide care and support. Kaitlin described helping a family after their house was destroyed by a fire. “We were able to give comfort to them… In a moment of helplessness, they were so appreciative. It made me feel good.” She commented having empathy is vital.

Kaitlin reflected on the impact volunteering has had on her. “[The Red Cross] is such a big part of my life now… It’s amazing how much they impact their communities. Knowing there are Red Cross organizations all over the world. We are all working toward the same goal, and we all have the same principles.

Kaitlin is married to Jose, and they have three fur babies together: Chico, Havana, and Mila. The couple met at Daviess County High School on the Latin dance team. Kaitlin said her passion for dance grew from the team, as she now teaches Zumba and Zumbini classes.

Volunteer Highlight - Corey Gant

As a firefighter, Corey Gant knows firsthand the importance of being prepared. Originally from Louisville, KY, Corey moved to Owensboro for college. He joined the Owensboro Fire Department after he graduated and is the Battalion Chief of Training for the fire department. He joined the Red Cross around 2016 and is on our Western Kentucky Chapter board.

Giving back to his community is what made Corey decide to volunteer: “I was still just a firefighter at the time, and I was kind of looking for a way to get involved with a group. At the time the executive director asked the fire department to be a part of the Red Cross board here in Western Kentucky. I was asked to fill that role for the fire department, and that’s really how it started.”

During his tenure with the Red Cross, Corey has been both vice chair and chair of the Western Kentucky Chapter board. He helped Misty Thomas, our Western Kentucky Chapter executive director, get up to speed on the board when she joined the Red Cross. His biggest role, however, is volunteering with the Home Fire Campaign. The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes that don't have them, and by educating people about home fire safety.

“It's hard to not see the importance in it,” said Corey. “I’ve volunteered for several of the home fire campaign events.” The Owensboro Fire Department also partners with the Red Cross to install smoke alarms in homes that need them in the city of Owensboro. Corey tries to help in other areas when he can, including helping with blood drives and by being a blood donor himself. 

For Corey, the most interesting part of volunteering is getting to go out and serve his community. 

“It's kind of what we do in the fire service, and on a different scale,” said Corey. “It’s hard for me to be part of the recovery side because it's what I do [with the fire department]. I’m usually responding. I try to help out on the preparedness side, get out and meet people and make sure they understand the importance of being prepared and what they need to handle house fires or natural disasters.”

Corey encourages others to volunteer because getting out there and supporting an organization like the Red Cross helps the people around us and helps build up the community.

“Even if you can't go give your time, there are other things that you can do to help support the Red Cross and help support others that go through catastrophes,” said Corey. “It’s good for the soul, but it's also good for the community. You’re helping people in a way that not everybody can.”

Outside of volunteering, Corey enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, who will turn two years old in June. They visit Louisville as often as they can, and enjoy going to Nashville, traveling, and attending hockey games.

Thank you, Corey, for all you do!