Red Cross Assists Navy Veteran After Home is Destroyed

Red Cross volunteers make a difference in the lives of military families through emergency relief and volunteering

Just after midnight on September 16, 2023, Martha Richardson was sleeping soundly in the upstairs bedroom of her house in Huntington, New York. She was resting to be ready to work an overtime shift the next day — a Saturday — so she could earn extra money to pay tuition for her two kids in college. Unbeknownst to her, an impaired driver in a pickup truck was careening down the road. Suddenly, his truck hit and bounced off two parked cars before flying over a median, heading straight for Martha’s home.

“At first I thought it was a human that hit me because it was so painful,” said Martha, a five-year Navy veteran who has worked for the U.S. government for 20 years. “I jumped up off the bed, took a couple steps back to see who was in the room, and I stepped on something sharp on the floor. The house was engulfed in smoke, and my eyes were just on fire.”

Red Cross volunteers make a difference in the lives of military families through emergency relief and volunteering

Just after midnight on September 16, 2023, Martha Richardson was sleeping soundly in the upstairs bedroom of her house in Huntington, New York. She was resting to be ready to work an overtime shift the next day — a Saturday — so she could earn extra money to pay tuition for her two kids in college. Unbeknownst to her, an impaired driver in a pickup truck was careening down the road. Suddenly, his truck hit and bounced off two parked cars before flying over a median, heading straight for Martha’s home.

“At first I thought it was a human that hit me because it was so painful,” said Martha, a five-year Navy veteran who has worked for the U.S. government for 20 years. “I jumped up off the bed, took a couple steps back to see who was in the room, and I stepped on something sharp on the floor. The house was engulfed in smoke, and my eyes were just on fire.”
 

Martha’s story with the Red Cross continued for several months following the disaster in her home. During her six-month stay at a veterans shelter in Brooklyn, her caseworker, Kurby Velez, worked with her to explore permanent housing options. He was able to help her find something in her budget in the Bronx. Meanwhile, a Greater New York Service to the Armed Forces caseworker continued to explore resources that could help Martha after she found a new place to live. Lallita called a local nonprofit partner that provides services for veterans, which generously donated furnishings for the new apartment — kitchen appliances, bedding, a television, cleaning supplies, a new bed, and much more. Now, Martha eagerly awaits her daughter’s return home from college for the summer and continues to plan her eventual return to living on Long Island.

“Life can change in the blink of an eye,” Lallita said, explaining why she dedicates her time to Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces and the Hero Care Network. “Living from a place of gratitude, I recognize the sacrifice of our service members, veterans and their families. It just fuels my passion to continue to live the Red Cross mission. Since I can’t change what happened, I can try my best as a member of the Red Cross to make the journey to recovery a little easier with the help of all those that support our military.”

This Military Appreciation Month, volunteer with the Red Cross to turn ‘thank you for your service’ into action. Through our Red Cross Hero Care Network, volunteers deliver critical emergency messages for military families separated by deployments, trainings and more. Click here to get involved.