Red Crosser Drives Emergency Response Vehicle from Pennsylvania to Kentucky for Tornado Relief

By: Nicole Roschella

The last time John “J.B.” Breitweiser spent Christmas away from home was when he was serving in the Vietnam War. That was 52 years ago.

 

This week, Breitweiser packed up a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) and drove more than 600 miles from Pittsburgh to Mayfield, Kentucky. He will join nearly 470 trained Red Cross disaster workers from all over the country who are responding to the early December tornadoes across the South and the Midwest. Breitweiser will drive the ERV to affected communities to distribute food, water and supplies. 

“I have a feeling the pictures don’t do it justice... of what has actually occurred there,” Breitweiser said. “If I can be just a small part of the big picture and help where I can, I want to be there.”

Breitweiser is a seasoned Red Crosser. He has been volunteering with the organization for the past 13 years. He currently serves on the Disaster Action Team, responding to house fires, floods and other situations in Allegheny County. 

When he is not responding to disasters in his local community, Breitweiser volunteers to deploy on Red Cross missions across the country. Two months before heading to Kentucky, Breitweiser spent two weeks in Louisiana, helping people affected by Hurricane Ida. 

“You come back, and you’ve got two weeks of mail, appointments to reschedule and you’re tired. Plus, you’ve got a suitcase and a half full of clothes that need [to be] washed. So, you come back to a little bit more work,” Breitweiser said. 

Despite that, he drove to Kentucky to help more people. This is his eighth ERV deployment. 

“I’ve found my niche,” he said. His favorite parts of the job are meeting people and bringing them food. In Kentucky alone, the Red Cross has served more than 35,600 meals and snacks, distributed almost 21,000 relief items, and provided over 4,200 individual care contacts. 

Breitweiser knows this Christmas will be unlike any other for those affected by the tornadoes. When asked about missing time with his family over the holidays, Breitweiser said, "I'll Facetime with my two grandkids and that'll be my Christmas.” 

This is a time for communities to come together and support one another, and you can help, whether through a financial donation for disaster relief, the gift of donating blood or volunteering your time. Make a financial donation or schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. You can also use the Red Cross Blood Donor app to schedule a blood donation appointment.