David Knoer, Red Cross

Caroline Berger, Nominator

“I’ve been there. It could happen to anyone. Most of us are one catastrophic event from being homeless.”

Forget relaxing vacations, football games and movie night. Dave would rather spend his time bringing relief to disaster victims. Once homeless, he and his three sons lived out of his car. Homeward Bound and his own tenacity helped him turn his life around and build a stable environment for his family. Once he was back on his feet, he wanted to do the same for others. Today, he is on call day and night as a volunteer leader of the Arizona Disaster Response Team for the American Red Cross assisting people after a disaster. He helps victims find temporary housing, food, clothing, medical care and also offers a big does of compassion. He also provides free photography services to organizations like United Methodist Outreach Ministry (UMOM). Through his volunteering, he keeps in mind what it feels like to be down and out.