By Charlie
O’Halloran and Peter Turansick, Red Cross writers
Did you know
90% of the work of the American Red Cross is performed by volunteers?
Volunteers play an integral role in carrying out our humanitarian mission – and
as National Volunteer Week comes to a close, we’d like to once again say thank
you.
Last week, the team in Northern New England gathered for a virtual “Voice
of Volunteerism” discussion. This discussion, hosted by Arlene Medeiros,
featured a panel of three volunteers who shared their incredible stories, inspirations
and words of wisdom with those looking to learn more about volunteering with
the American Red Cross.
If you
missed the interactive panel discussion, you can watch it here.
Disaster
Cycle Services
“One thing
I really enjoy is mentoring the next wave of volunteers who came in behind me
to grow into positions utilizing their specific skill set.”
Meet Mark Critz
of Londonderry, New Hamsphire. Mark
is one of 1,620 active Red Crossers in the Northern New England
Region who dedicate their time and talent to helping their neighbors in need.
Mark has
been a volunteer in our region for four years, and in that time, he has taken
on many different roles. He surveys shelters as an NNE Logistics Facilities
Lead, stores their data as a RAST Sheltering Applications Lead, teaches courses
as an Advanced Instructor, and so much more. One of the most important parts of
his volunteerism is disaster relief. He is a Disaster Action Team Responder in
Southern New Hampshire, and he regularly signs up for shifts with his wife,
Sue. Mark deployed nationally several times. One of the things that keeps him
volunteering is having the opportunity to help clients through some of the
worst days of their lives.
Mark has
volunteered locally, divisionally, and nationally. He has experienced many
memorable and rewarding moments, particularly during his national deployments.
In North Carolina, he was able to deliver comfortable cots to church
volunteers, and cargo vans of leftover blankets to a local dog shelter. In
Oregon, he worked with a church to build kits for victims of the wildfires, and
saw a sifter box for the first time. Sifter boxes are used to place the
remnants of a burned home and sift for personal items. After deploying to
Oregon as the Logistics Lead of the Medford District, he deployed a second time
to co-lead a Strike Team of Mass Care Shelter volunteers from all over the
country, alongside a co-lead from his very first deployment.
His local
work includes ensuring our region is ready for disasters by surveying shelters.
Now, our region has over 1,200 shelters listed in the National Shelter System.
Recently, he volunteered at local “vaccine drive through” events, partnering
with local companies like Crystal Geyser and national companies such as
Coca-Cola and Budweiser. Being a Red Cross volunteer has given him a lot of
opportunities in retirement. It has taken him to many places, where he works
hard and takes the time to have fun. Mark says he’s also quite invested in supporting
the next generation of volunteers.
The need
for volunteers has never been greater as we experience larger and more intense
disasters across the country. Turn your compassion into action by becoming a
Red Cross disaster response volunteer today.
Chapter
Leadership
“Knowing I
am helping to relieve human suffering by serving in the world’s largest
humanitarian organization keeps me engaged as an American Red Cross
Volunteer.”
Meet Phyllis
Arnold Rand of Lewiston, Maine. Phyllis has volunteered with the Red Cross for 13
years. She has been in the wastewater treatment profession for over three
decades, currently working as the Water Quality Coordinator at the Greater
Augusta Utility District in Augusta. As the youngest of six children in a
military family, Phyllis has a personal connection to the Red Cross. Her mother
reminded her of a story from her childhood, when her father was serving his
second tour of duty in Vietnam. Her family had moved to Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, and faced financial hardships due to “red tape” regulations. Her
mother reached out to organizations that aid military families, but none of
them were willing to help her. That all changed after somebody suggested that
she contact the Red Cross. Ultimately, the Red Cross sent an emergency message
to her father, and his commanding officer was able to help the family get on
their feet. When Phyllis heard the story of how the Red Cross helped, she
wanted to pay it forward.
Phyllis
has taken on several roles that are of service to specific groups, including
Community Volunteer Leader (CVL), Government Operations Manager, Veterans’
Affairs Voluntary Service Representative. Last
July, Phyllis deployed to Oregon during the Bootleg Fires. On this disaster
relief operation, she worked from an Incident Command Post where she provided
daily broadcasted briefings. She has contributed over 1,500 volunteer hours,
and last year, she was recognized by the White House. She received the
President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award and the 2020 Letter of Commendation
from President Biden. Her motto is Semper Gumby, a navy term for “always
flexible.”
In October,
Phyllis tried something new. She donated blood for the first time and learned
that her blood has a special characteristic that makes it compatible to people
with sickle cell disease! This energized her to run her first blood drive,
which will be on the upcoming Juneteenth and is open to all donors. She is
hoping the drive will encourage other African American donors to roll up a
sleeve.
The Red
Cross Sickle Cell Initiative is an enterprise-wide campaign to triple the
number of African American blood donors by the end of December 2025. This
national effort will help the American Red Cross eliminate the gap in our
ability to meet hospital demand and provide the most compatible units for
patients with sickle cell disease. This disease is the most common genetic
blood disease in the U.S., affecting about 100,000 people—primarily affecting
Black and African American individuals. Though there is no widely available
cure, the Red Cross supports one of the most critical sickle treatments of
all—blood transfusions. For many patients, a close blood type match is
essential and is found in donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.
Biomedical
Services
“I enjoy
volunteering because it makes me feel like I’m helping people and I really
enjoy that. I also enjoy working alongside the paid and volunteer staff, we all
get along so well!”
Meet Bill
Sanderson of Burlington, Vermont. Bill has volunteered at the Burlington Blood
Donation Center for five years – in fact, he is known as a “weekly pillar” there.
When he was interested in the possibility of volunteering with the Red Cross,
he met with the head volunteer coordinator in his area. Having previously
donated blood with the Red Cross, he was now interested in helping others with
their donations. His first position at the donor’s center was in the canteen.
That’s where donors go to sit, eat a snack, and have a drink after their blood
donation. Bill always talked to them about their experiences, and in turn, he
heard many heartwarming stories of why they chose to donate. Later, he was
promoted to the Blood Donor Ambassador position, and he moved up to the front
desk. Now when someone walks in to give blood, Bill is their first point of
contact. He checks donors in for their appointments, and some days, he is able
to accept walk-ins. If someone walks in on a fully booked day, Bill works to
find them another convenient time to donate.
After a
donor is checked in, they are given a colored nametag: Green for new donors,
light red for returning donors, and dark red for a donor giving a “power red”
donation. A “power red” donation uses a special machine, which allows donors to
safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation. This returns
their plasma and platelets to them, and ultimately maximizes the impact of
their donation. Over time, the Blood Donor Ambassador role has changed as
technology has advanced. For instance, the Red Cross has implemented Rapid
Passes, where donors can fill out the pre-appointment paperwork online. They
have also brought new technology to the blood center, such as screens where
donors can scan their own ID or donor cards. Bill has contributed so much for a
simple reason: he enjoys helping people and hearing their stories.
Just as
disasters happen every day, the need for blood is constant. Every two seconds
someone in the U.S. needs blood and the Red Cross collects 40% of the nation’s
blood supply. If Bill’s experiences sound like something you might enjoy,
consider joining our team as a volunteer to help ensure new moms, cancer
patients and accident victims have access to safe, lifesaving blood.
If you
missed the “Voice of Volunteerism” panel, you can watch the hour long discussion
here.
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