By Ryan Lang, Red Cross Board Member and volunteer

“Being able to see the immediate impact the Red Cross can have when someone’s going through one of their worst experiences – that’s what’s kept me going for the past six years.”

For Brian Glasscock, it was personal when he started volunteering for the American Red Cross. He was still living in California and his family was forced to evacuate their home due to a wildfire. That was the moment Brian decided he wanted to help people in similar situations.

Brian’s been a part of the Disaster Action Team since he began volunteering six years ago. He’s moved up to Coordinator for Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties and serves as the Disaster Response Supervisor for the region.

“When the Red Cross shows up, something is going really quite wrong in someone’s life,” Brian said. He knows – he’s been there and he’s seen the impact the Red Cross can immediately have in those moments. It’s why he does it.

Brian has since found many other perks in his volunteer work. “Being a disaster volunteer with the Red Cross has helped me learn to communicate with diverse groups of people. It has exposed me to the richness of Northeast Ohio,” he said. “Volunteering for the Red Cross has opened up a whole new lens to the community I live in.”

But like many Red Cross volunteers, Brian has a full-time job – one that requires him to travel quite a bit. How can he fit in volunteering on top of everything else? “You can do a shift every weekend, or even every other weekend,” Brian explains. “With the Disaster Action Team, you can do both – have a career and give back to the community by volunteering with the Red Cross.”

To find out how you can volunteer with the Red Cross or other ways to help, click here!