Answering the Call: Bill Thomas Reflects on 18 Years with the Red Cross

By Emily Foshay, Red Cross writer

“I figured I could do this for a couple of years, but I still haven’t figured out which couple of years it was going to be.”

Nearly two decades later, Bill Thomas is still responding to disasters as a volunteer with the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team in Aroostook County, Maine.

What began as a simple recommendation turned into 18 years of service. Bill was a member of his local Community Emergency Response Team when he was encouraged to attend a Red Cross sheltering class. When he arrived, someone handed him a volunteer application. He filled it out, not realizing how long he would stay involved.

Since then, Bill has responded to countless disasters, from local home fires to large-scale deployments across the country.

Each call is different, and some of these experiences have truly left their mark.

“Every deployment and disaster have something that has stayed with me,” Bill shared.

One memory from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 stands out. During the response in Texas, after the deadly storm caused catastrophic flooding, a small child, about 18 months old, reached out to Bill wanting to be held. He picked him up and clutches him close for a few minutes, offering comfort during an overwhelming moment.

“Every time I’ve been out on a call, we make a life-changing difference,” he said.

Nearly 63,000 Red Cross volunteers provide vital comfort, care and hope to people impacted by disaster. Volunteer responders often meet families on some of the hardest days of their lives. Homes may be damaged or destroyed, and sometimes families are grieving unimaginable loss.

Some calls stay with Bill more than others, especially when families lose loved ones in home fires.

“Those are the ones you can’t help but think of,” he said.

Thomas said that working with the Red Cross for such a long time has helped him develop his skills in active listening without judgment and offering support without making assumptions about the survivor’s experiences.

Despite the emotional weight of the work, Bill continues to return to the Disaster Action Team year after year.

“It’s about caring for humanity,” he said. “Those are qualities instilled in me by my parents, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”

Red Cross Community Manager Brian Bouley says Bill has been an essential part of the team’s disaster response in Aroostook County, likely touching more lives than he even realizes through his compassion and service.

“For 18 years, Bill’s dedication and responsiveness have quietly strengthened our mission and the people we serve,” said Brian.

Today, more than 325,000 individuals volunteer their time to support the Red Cross mission. For those considering joining the Red Cross, Bill offers one piece of advice.

“Volunteering with the Red Cross is about others and not you,” he said. “It’s about caring for and helping people that you may not even know or may never see again. It’s about giving of yourself and putting others’ needs ahead of your own.”

After 18 years of service, Bill still hasn’t figured out which “couple of years” he originally signed up for, but the families he has helped know exactly what his time has meant.

April is National Volunteer Month, and the American Red Cross honors the true lifeblood of our organization ─ our volunteers ─ who make our humanitarian mission possible every day.

Your time and talent can make an impact. Find the best way for you to get involved by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.