By Alison Votaw, Red Cross Communications Volunteer
The first thing you may notice about George Manolakas is his infectious laugh and positive attitude.
George joined the American Red Cross in 2022, after retiring at the age of 70 from being an attorney. George said he had sat on several non-profit boards and he knew he finally wanted to volunteer for one when he had the time.
“Once you join the Red Cross, you realize what an impact the Red Cross makes and you understand how many are volunteers and you want to be a part of keeping it going.”
When George joined the Red Cross, he didn’t know what to expect. He started taking classes for sheltering, feeding, disaster assessment, and driving the Emergency Response Vehicle. Two weeks later, this led to his first deployment to Florida for Hurricane Ian relief where he realized just how big of an impact the Red Cross has during emergencies.
One particular story that stood out to him was that of an elderly woman he met at the evacuation shelter he was working at. She had been found sitting on a platform with her cat as the water started to rise around them – she had spent the entire night there until help arrived in the morning. George’s heart was moved by her story and it left a lasting impression on his volunteer journey. During this deployment, George learned the importance of simple asking people what it is they need, whether it be a physical or mental need. Seeing the difference he could make in people’s lives, George knew this aspect of the Red Cross was one he would like to pursue further.
When George came home from Ian he committed himself to taking more courses so that he would be better prepared for the next deployment. That next deployment quickly came when his state needed disaster relief during the 2023 atmospheric floods. George was in charge of delivering food to multiple locations throughout the valley, traveling up to 100 miles in one day to ensure that the shelters in Fresno County had the food they needed.
George was also deployed to North Little Rock Arkansas and the Maui Wildfires where he helped with non congregant housing. George said the focus in this type of deployment is assisting with the needs that may not be as obvious, like long-term housing, and mental and physical needs.
“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done.”
George doesn’t stop volunteering when the disaster is over. He felt compelled to do more and asked his fellow volunteers if there was anything they needed help with in the Bakersfield area. When he was offered the role of Operations Fleet Lead, George didn’t shy away from the responsibility but instead embraced it wholeheartedly. He also helps lead smoke alarm safety education trainings at Sound the Alarm events. It’s clear that his passion for helping others runs deep, and his commitment to being of service is truly inspiring.
George’s giving heart and his ability to never back down from a new challenge is why he’s an exemplary example of the volunteers we are lucky to have here in Kern County.
“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done.”
George Manolakas
In celebration of Volunteer Month, join our team of wonderful volunteers today, just like George did at redcross.org/volunteertoday
Red Cross Central California Blog 