By Amy Howe
For Kim Mailes, volunteering with the American Red Cross is more than just away to help others—it’s a calling that blends his passion for storytelling with his desire to serve.
Whether responding to natural disasters or offering comfort to those in crisis, Kim finds purpose in giving a voice to those affected.That sense of purpose was shaped early in life, growing up in Neosho, Missouri, where two influential teachers helped him discover his talent for communication.
“Millie Stover, my English teacher, told me I had a gift to write and taught me to believe in myself. Don Jordan, my debate coach, gave me confidence and turned me into a champion, ”Kim shares. Those lessons, combined with a weekend job as a DJ at KBTN radio, laid the foundation for a lifelong journey in storytelling and service.
After dedicating years to his family’s business, Burr Motor Company, Kim faced a pivotal moment when he sold the enterprise. “I had the rare opportunity to decide who I was going to be for the rest of my life. I determined to be a humanitarian to help others and became a communicator for the American RedCross,” he shares.
The American Red Cross, with its mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors, became the perfect avenue for Kim’s aspirations. Through a network of about 230 chapters in the U.S., the organization provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Kim’s journey with the Red Cross began serendipitously. “I was just plain lucky to connect with the Red Cross. As I reinvented myself and looked for a place to serve others, I read an article in The Joplin Globe that the Red Cross was looking for volunteers. I joined, and the organization took the time to really get to know me and what talentsI could offer. It’s been one of the greatest chapters in my life,” he says.
Over the past four years, Kim has deployed to numerous disasters across the United States, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires. Each disaster presents unique challenges, but the recent wildfires in Los Angeles were particularly devastating. Starting Jan. 7,2025, two large wildfires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, erupted in Los Angeles, spreading rapidly and becoming among the most destructive in Southern California’s history.
“I drove through neighborhoods where wildfires had consumed everything but chimneys for block after block, square miles of destruction. Thousands of people who no longer had a home were evacuated into Red Cross shelters. It was heartbreaking,” Kim shares.
In his role as a story producer during these disasters, Kim collaborates with photo and video teams to capture compelling content that tells the Red Cross story. “As the team goes about their work, I talk to the victims of disaster to hear their stories because sometimes what they need most is a listening ear,” he explains. The process involves long days in the field, followed by late nights editing footage, obtaining legal releases and writing stories and captions. The approved contentis then distributed to fund development and public relations teams tofurther the organization’s mission.
Balancing empathy with professionalism is a delicate act. “Over theyears, I’ve gained a sixth sense of the line between empathy andprofessionalism. I do my job during the day, but late in the evenings, I have to process all the emotions so I can do it again the next day. I admit there are timesthat I have to step aside for amoment and cry just a bit,” Kimsays.
One encounter during his deployment in Los Angeles stands out vividly. “I ran into a 101-year-old lady in the Red Cross shelter in Pasadena who fled her home as the wildfires approached. She has lived a remarkable life: Dairy Queen of the Los Angeles County Fair in 1948; talented musician and dancer in nightclubs for decades; music instructor. Sitting there on a cot, among the hundreds of other evacuees, she smiled and told me of her determination to start all over again, and how much it meant to her that the Red Cross was helping her. Those kinds of stories make it all worthwhile.
”After a brief return home to Neosho, Kim headed back to Los Angeles for an additional two-week assignment as the assistant director of external relations. “The Red Cross has a detailed and efficient organizational structure to make these huge operations work smoothly. Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers are on the ground during a disaster relief operation, doing everything from shelter work, to nursing, to mental health counseling, to feeding and handling warehouse logistics,” he notes. In his new role, Kim assists managers within the external relations line of service, ensuring their teams remain focused on fulfilling the objectives of the entire operation.
Looking back on his journey from Neosho to the front lines of disaster relief, Kim attributes much of his path to his upbringing. “Neosho is my heart and will always be my home. My family and my hometown made me what I am today,” he says.
For those considering volunteering with the Red Cross or pursuing similar opportunities, Kim offers heartfelt advice. “The American Red Cross needs more volunteers. They can join a disaster action team, local teams that mobilize quickly to respond to local disasters like home fires. For those who want to deploy to disasters around the country, we need nurses, chaplains, mental health professionals, feeding personnel, people to drive emergency response vehicles, people to work in warehouses, forklift drivers, caseworkers to get aid to those affected. The list goes on and on,” he emphasizes.I
n a world where disasters are occurring with greater frequency and intensity, Kim Mailes stands as a testament to the profound impact one individual can have. “The opportunity to help others using the gifts God gave me makes me the luckiest man in the world.
”Through his storytelling and service, Kim not only aids those in their most vulnerable moments but also inspires others to find their own paths to making a difference.
For more information on how to volunteer with American Red Cross,visit redcross.org.
See more photos in the March 2025 print and digital editions