Hero Care Network Volunteer Champions Hispanic Heritage to Aid Fellow Service Members

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, no one embodies its spirit more than Henry Ayala, championing both his culture and Spanish language to serve members of the military, veterans and their families.

"A lot of the family members love to join the military and when they leave, they don't know how to get in touch with their loved one and let them know something has happened back home. ")

As a volunteer with the Hero Care Network, one of Henry's primary responsibilities is casework. "I ensure that my case workers conduct family follow-ups with the veteran's family and provide them with information on how to send an emergency communication message to their loved ones in the military," he explained

As part of our congressional charter, in times of emergency, the Red Cross helps military families communicate with their loved ones and helps facilitate their return home during a verified emergency through our Hero Care Network. Caseworkers like Henry and his team also help connect service members to their respective military aid societies for financial assistance and make additional referrals.

This work is something that feels natural for someone who was once in need of Red Cross support himself. Henry received an emergency communication message when he was serving in the U.S. military. He later joined the Red Cross with his wife in Puerto Rico, first as a Disaster Action Team responder, and he now uses his language skills and military background to volunteer with the Service to the Armed Forces team within the organization.

"I love to help and serve other people like I was helped … I am of Hispanic origin and being bilingual helps me out a lot. The problem is we need more bilingual volunteers because not everyone speaks English here in Puerto Rico and which makes it more difficult to find a translator to help," Henry said.

If you're interested in becoming a Service to the Armed Forces volunteer, please visit redcross.org/safor contact your local Red Cross chapter to learn more.