By Aerial Woods
Yvonne Lambertson is a proud veteran of 12 years active-duty service in the U.S. Navy, who medically retired in 1997. Her journey with the American Red Cross began during her active-duty enlistment as a radioman. During that time, Lambertson suffered a house fire. That experience introduced her to the service of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT). When she crawled out of the inferno from what was once her home with her 3-week-old infant in hand, not only was the fire department there, but DAT as well. After losing everything and receiving so much support, she was compelled to return the same compassion.
In September of 2020, she joined the disaster action team for her area. From there she took off, conducting immediate aid client care cases during 28 deployments from around the nation. She also deployed as an emergency response vehicle driver to provide hot meals during disasters. Further extending a helping hand, Lambertson now holds the positions of DAT manager and coordinator, along with other roles. She aids in the intake of new Red Cross volunteers as a supervisor and passes on knowledge from earlier life experiences as an instructor. Lambertson leans on her military experience to find the resilience to remain committed to the Red Cross mission.
It is clear Lambertson operates at a high speed. Her ongoing efforts with the American Red Cross show the empathy and compassion she holds for humanity. That is why enjoys supporting those affected by disasters on behalf of the Red Cross. She plans to expand her volunteer work to the Service to the Armed Forces line of service with the Red Cross. Her early experience with the disaster action team was enough to spark an interest to fuel the flames of what she does today.
To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteer.