Disaster Services Spotlight: Meet Red Cross Volunteer Mike Griffin

Story by: Cliff Morgan, Disaster Action Team Member and Communications Volunteer

From disaster assessment to running a shelter, Red Cross Disaster Services spans a variety of essential roles to help people prepare for and recover from home fires and natural disasters. Cliff Morgan, a Disaster Action Team volunteer himself, is introducing us to extraordinary Disaster Services Volunteers in the Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. Read his spotlight on volunteer Mike Griffin.

Many families in the U.S. have pets, and they are more than that — they’re part of the family. Mike Griffin knows that because in addition to caring for people, cares deeply about his dog and two cats. He started working in animal shelters and advanced to becoming an Emergency Coordinator and Facilities Manager, but, with a vision and a heart, saw the greater need and felt compelled to do something about it.

Despite warnings from local emergency agencies, people are sometimes reluctant to evacuate their homes for a variety of reasons. They may have nowhere to go, they may not have the funds for lodging, and sometimes they don’t evacuate because they can’t take their pets with them. There’s a need and Mike wanted to be a part of filling that void.

He became part of a Pet Sheltering program, which is a newly formed Connecticut and Rhode Island regional leadership-led team. The group is working to form partnerships to ensure shelter residents and community members have a place to take their pets with access to immediate needs. The team is also developing a recovery plan for pet owners affected by home fires.

Mike is also trained as an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driver and qualified as a Damage Assessment volunteer, shelter service associate and local Disaster Action Team member (DAT). He responded to the call for Hurricane Ian relief in both Fort Myers and Daytona Beach, driving an ERV back from Florida to Connecticut. He also assisted with sheltering efforts in Texas over the winter holidays. This particularly impacted Mike deeply and was when he felt he had the most impact as a Red Cross volunteer.

Mike’s volunteer efforts don’t stop there. He delivers recovery information to individuals impacted by home fires, participates in the Home Fire Campaign and is grateful to be part of an organization that has such a profound impact on clients in need.

No matter what the interest of the volunteer is, there’s a niche to be filled by volunteering with the Red Cross. Mike has found his niche and is educating others to help in the same way in their own communities.

Make an impact in your community. Explore our volunteer opportunities at redcross.org/volunteertoday.