Volunteer Appreciation Month: Helen Brown

Meet Helen Brown, a Community Volunteer Lead (CVL) and Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer with the American Red Cross Western Kentucky Chapter. Helen is no stranger to volunteering. She volunteers with FEMA through Hopkins County Emergency Management, and with her local police department and Citizens Police Unit. She was introduced to volunteering with the Red Cross when a tornado hit Providence in Webster County, Kentucky in 2002.

Helen, left. Photos courtesy Helen Brown.

“I went with a church group [to help] and saw all of the Red Cross personnel there,” said Helen. “I was amazed by how they were organized and handling everything.” While she was there, someone noticed her interest and asked if she would be interested in volunteering with the Red Cross.

Since then, Helen has deployed to national disasters and has responded locally to help with single and multifamily fires in Hopkins County. She is also a blood donor and drives an hour to Owensboro to donate at blood drives. Helen has volunteered more than 1,100 hours in various volunteer roles with the Red Cross.

Recently, Helen has also spent time volunteering as a CVL in Hopkins County with Misty Thomas, the Executive Director of the Western Kentucky Chapter, and fellow CVL Vivian McNeil. As a CVL, Helen mans the Red Cross office in Madisonville twice a week and helps Misty share information about the services the Red Cross provides with the Hopkins County community. “I get out into the community, into the organization club meetings, and make it well known in Hopkins County what’s available,” said Helen.

Helen has volunteered in multiple roles during disaster responses, including assisting with information and planning for damage assessment, outreach through external relations, and in mass care roles like sheltering, feeding, logistics and procurement. While Helen prefers to work behind the scenes, one of the things she says she enjoys most about volunteering is helping people in their moments of need.

“99% of the time I'm behind the scenes. It's not about me, […] it’s about me helping somebody,” she said. “It’s how I try to give back. I try to let people know that there are people who care.”

One of the things that sticks with Helen the most about her volunteer experiences is the appreciation from the people she helps. On a past deployment, Helen assisted with flooding in Eastern Kentucky, where she helped provide meals to a little girl and her family.

“Her snapshot is always in my mind,” she recalled. “She was so appreciative. […] And the joy, the appreciation that people will show even in their darkest hour, you know they're appreciative for what you're doing for them.”

Some of the most important things about volunteering, for Helen, are being able to reassure and comfort the people she meets, working to find them the information they need to move forward and letting them know that there are people that care.

Despite her wide experience as a volunteer, Helen stays humble: “I don't feel like I do a whole lot in my volunteer work, but I feel like it's my small way to give back, because I've been blessed.”

Helen thinks it’s important for others to volunteer because it helps with community preparedness. “It gives the community the ability to step in and care for one another,” she said. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors. There are always multiple areas that you can help.” 

When Helen isn’t volunteering, she’s spending time with her family and friends, including her multiple grandchildren. She enjoys reading, music, and traveling with her life partner.

Helen, your dedication to the Red Cross mission and our community inspires us! Thank you for everything that you do! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.