School Of Communication alumna Sandi Poreda has been a long-time, dedicated volunteer with the American Red Cross. This year, Poreda faced one of her most challenging tests as she led critical relief initiatives in response to the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton on the State of Florida.

Poreda first began her involvement with the American Red Cross in middle school, where she taught first aid and water safety courses as a competitive swimmer. Today, she serves as the Board Chair for her local chapter in Tallahassee, volunteering in several roles including disaster cycle services and disaster relief efforts. 

“Becoming a Red Cross disaster volunteer has changed my life for the better in so many ways,” Poreda shared.

2024 saw one of Florida’s most active tropic seasons, with Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton making landfall just weeks apart. During the response to Helene and Milton, Poreda was asked to join Florida’s statewide sheltering team where she oversaw volunteer staffing, supply distribution, and management of evacuation shelters across the state. After the storms had passed, she transitioned to the role of providing hot meals to shelter clients. She responded to meal requests from communities across the state, coordinated with vendors and deliverers, and tracked daily meal counts. By the end of her involvement with the relief effort, Poreda had overseen the distribution of more than 25,000 hot meals to those in need.

“I’ve been with the Red Cross for many years, and I’ve been part of many disaster relief operations. Managing the feeding operation was one of the most difficult tasks I’ve ever been asked to handle, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to work harder,” Poreda said. “I was extremely fortunate to have a very small team of talented individuals who supported me and helped us feed every single person every single day.”

To honor her hard work, Poreda was awarded the Golden Cambro Pin, a special symbol within the Red Cross community. The pin, specially created by Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) volunteers, is rare and symbolizes extraordinary service under special circumstances. “To me, it meant that even though each day wasn’t perfect, someone saw the effort and thought I was doing my very best. It was incredibly special,” Poreda expressed. 

Poreda encourages anybody interested in the American Red Cross to explore ways to get involved. With nearly 90 percent of the workforce being volunteer-based, the Red Cross depends on community involvement to respond to disasters like hurricanes.