Employee Spotlight: John Matthews, Part 1

 

W. John Matthews III, MPA

Did you know the American Red Cross is the only Red Cross that has the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF)? John Matthews is our Senior Regional Program Specialist and has deployed twice: Romania (Germany) and Poznan (Poland). He has seen firsthand the impact we have. “For many of these foreign troops, they have never seen this in their lives. Everything from the canteen outside my office with snacks and the hygiene items. They are coming up and saying ‘This is free? I can just take some?’ I said yes. That’s why we are here.”

In Romania, John got acquainted with some British troops who started taking notes about SAF. “They were so fascinated with the idea that we’re the ones who do emergency messaging,” he said. John managed over 575 cases of emergency messages through our Hero Care Network while deployed to both countries. The network enables us to provide critical services to military members, veterans and their families all over the world. These vital services include responding to emergency needs for food, clothing, and shelter, referrals to counseling services, and information on veterans’ cemeteries and burial benefits.

With a history in emergency management, John started with our team in 2018. “I had experience working with the military and military families. This seemed like a good fit. I came into the position learning about the oldest arm of the American Red Cross. It’s been a fascinating ride.”

John with volunteer in Romania