By Carrie Wheeler, American Red Cross Public Affairs
Connie Hunt’s meticulous data management and her preparation of survival kits are outmatched only by her cheerful and steadfast dedication to providing support to members of the military, veterans and their families. Connie is a regular participant of American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) events, especially the Stand Down and Yellow Ribbon events.
Stand Downs are day-long events that serve veterans experiencing homelessness or near-homelessness. Veterans walk away from a Stand Down with a fully-stocked bag of supplies and often a meal. They receive basic medical services such as flu shots and sometimes they are even able to visit a barber or chaplain. Typically held before winter sets in, the Colorado / Wyoming region supports 12-13 Stand Downs per year, serving approximately 1,200 veterans. Attending more than half of the events, Connie facilitates the inventory and supply process. She also will serve as a day-of volunteer, interacting with the veterans.
Stand Downs are very organized, due in no small part to Connie’s actions. If you hear the hum of an audiobook floating from the basement of the Red Cross building on Speer Street, you will know that Connie is hard at work, ordering supplies, managing inventory and preparing winter survival kits. Each kit is a cloth Red Cross bag stocked with ponchos, water bottles, hygiene and emergency kits, socks and gloves. Connie says she is the “Official Bag Lady of the Red Cross” because of the mountain of bags she prepares!
Connie also manages the point-of-contact database with information gathered at Yellow Ribbon Events, two-day events for military members and their families before a deployment. At these events, the Red Cross hands out literate about the Red Cross services available to military families during deployment. Connie then collects contact information to add to the point-of-contact database. Without this database, deployed soldiers may not be reachable should an emergency arise at home. But by collecting this information before deployment, the Red Cross can arrange for emergency communications between loved ones and military members.
Described as warm-hearted, caring and dependable, Connie is a teacher to many and her friendships span generations. Originally from a farm in Minnesota, Connie moved to Denver in 1963 and began working at Martin Marietta, where she met her husband. They were transferred to New Orleans in 1973, along with 200 other Colorado families, to work on the space shuttle. Connie and her family returned to Denver in 1980 and their three sons attended school in the Littleton School District. It was during the time of the “Big Easy” that Connie returned to community college. She finished her Associate’s degree at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography – from CU Denver and a master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley before returning to ACC to work in the test center. Before long, Connie was encouraged to become active in the psychology department, so she jumped in feet first teaching psychology courses at ACC until 2016 when she retired at the age of 75.
Connie is hard-wired to serve others, and her prior volunteerism includes the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts, various literacy programs, Meals on Wheels and now the Red Cross from 2016 to the present. Connie does not volunteer to receive recognition but to serve others, as evidenced by being named the Unsung Hero Award recipient in 2018. Connie is fueled by the feeling that she is contributing. While it can be frustrating that so many veterans experience homelessness and while she wishes she could do more, Connie is thankful she can help in this way. In her words, “Veterans have given so much, and this is something I can do for them. I have so much, and it is rewarding to give to them.”