Volunteer Appreciation Month: Tracy Counts

This #VolunteerAppreciationMonth, we are taking a moment to recognize our volunteers in the Kentucky Region! Meet Tracy Counts, Community Volunteer Lead (CVL) for the Red Cross Eastern Kentucky Chapter. Tracy has lived in eastern Kentucky for 30 years and works at Morehead State University as a Transfer Advisor and Recruiter.

Tracy began volunteering with Red Cross in 2015, after an apartment building fire. “My husband’s office building was right beside the fire… the police officer said he needed to find somewhere to get these people to safety. I said, ‘I can handle that.’ We turned our church fellowship hall into a shelter. We were the logical choice because of space and proximity. We housed 41 people in our hall for 10 days. Fed over 70 people for every meal,” said Tracy. She is a proud member and leader of First Presbyterian Church in Hazard, Kentucky.

Photo courtesy Tracy Counts

When deadly floods struck eastern Kentucky in 2022, Tracy was up all night. “It was hell on earth. When people were showing me where water lines rose in their house, I couldn’t believe it,” said Tracy. “[The church] started taking donations for clothes and supplies. Friday evening, Perry County had no water. We had to open church for sheltering. We ended up with 29 people who were rescued by the national guard. They had been out in elements for 2 days, almost 3. All of them had been rescued by helicopter.”

One thing Tracy tries to do is let people know about Red Cross resources. “Appalachia tends to be self-reliant. I let them know that it doesn’t hurt to reach out. As a friend of mine has told me: let people love on you,” said Tracy. The church is now the clothing and household supply drop off point for the long-term recovery program for Perry County. Their latest program is helping people restore their canning and gardening.

“I have cleaning buckets and supplies in my car. I have dropped them off at places that looks like it needed it… We have worked with areas to put on fall festivals so the kids would have something else to think about. We have done laundry detergent drop off at laundry facilities that were open, and donated pet food to animal shelters,” said Tracy. She says the most important thing is sticking together and understanding Appalachian culture. “Your neighbors helping you and understanding your values is the biggest blessing you can have.”

Tracy is honored to work with the Red Cross because of the quick response we have. “In eastern Kentucky, [Red Cross] are going to be the first ones there. They will help. No one was prepared for this type of catastrophe. Red Cross was the first on scene…. That’s the team environment we all need to be part of. If you want someone to be there with you in that moment, it’s the Red Cross.”

Thank you for your work, Tracy! The work you do continues to impact the lives of people in eastern Kentucky. 

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