CHICAGO (CBS) -- From supplying hospitals with blood to teaching lifesaving skills and helping those who lose their homes in fires and other disasters, the Red Cross is pivotal in our community. Ashley Metcalfe saw the generosity of Red Cross volunteers first-hand after a devastating fire.

After a fire destroyed Ashley Metcalfe and Arnold Conwell’s home, they reached out to multiple emergency services seeking assistance. But as Shardaa Gray reports, the American Red Cross was the only organization that stepped up and helped them when they needed it the most.

This is going to be a tough holiday season for the states hard-hit by Hurricane Helene. There is much work to be done in some communities, and Red Cross volunteer leader Thomas Shands of Jamestown has been there,

Sam Pulia, Pattie Eakin, Al Lopez, and Terry Nosal could have stayed safely in their homes when the hurricanes hit Florida and the Carolinas. Instead, they traveled hundreds of miles from the Chicago area to help the victims of the brutal storms.