Volunteer Appreciation Month: Lisa Maples

Lisa Maples joined our volunteer team at a trying time. She was on call the day after flooding inundated eastern Kentucky in the summer of 2022. “Red Cross has on their website to turn compassion into action…The Red Cross volunteers are compassionate people who are working hard to do more than feel sorry for someone. We are turning it into action. I can be a part of that,” said Lisa.

Volunteering for a little over a year, Lisa is motivated to answer the call. She is a retired nurse where most of her time was spent helping emergency services. She enjoyed the fast-paced work of helping people in the middle of a crisis. Once the COVID-19 pandemic spread, she was looking for virtual volunteer opportunities. “I found the Duty Officer position with Red Cross. It was a perfect fit. I get to interact with [individuals and families] in their greatest time of need… I’m doing the same thing I’ve done my whole life, just in a different role,” said Lisa.

Lisa describes the Duty Officer role as detective work. “People call the 1-800 number after they have a fire. That call dispatches to me. I go in and read the information, and then I reach out and see exactly what happened: how many people were involved, if they have pets, have they lost prescriptions or glasses? Do they have a safe place to stay?” She then connects with the fire department in the area to make sure they have all the correct information, then calls the local Red Cross team to go provide on-site support.

“It’s challenging, but I love it!” said Lisa. “It keeps me sharp. I’m looking out for the [families] and getting their needs met. I look forward to the days I’m on duty.” Lisa assists with the Bluegrass Area and Eastern Kentucky Chapters. She was pivotal during the initial response of the eastern Kentucky floods, answering the phones and keeping people calm. “It was total devastation. People had lost loved ones, pets, cars, houses. That day, we were doing what we needed to do. Taking the calls, giving them comfort. It was a hard day but rewarding because I got to be involved in helping folks.”

Outside of volunteering, Lisa enjoys camping with her husband, Greg. Their family has a permanent camp site on Lake Cumberland with a boat. They camp and boat with the whole family: their son, Mike with his wife, Teresa, their 2 grandchildren, Liam and Lucas, and their 2 Norfolk Terriers, Cooper and Keegan.

Learn how you can become a Red Cross volunteer: redcross.org/volunteertoday