Tag Archives: American Red Cross

Happy birthday, Clara!

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

Clara Barton was born on Dec. 25, 1821, 202 years ago today. What a gift she turned out to be!

National Gallery, Washington, DC. Henry Inman’s portrait of Clara Barton.

Clara was a trailblazer throughout her life, but her most impactful legacy is the organization she founded in 1881, the American Red Cross.

Although she never married or had children, her “baby” has moved millions of people to give their time and talents to help even more millions of people prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

One of the things I admire about Clara was her ability to adapt. That “semper Gumby” (forever flexible) ethos guides the organization to this day.

In 1882, Clara sent her right-hand man, Julian Hubbell, to assess damage from floods along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and provide relief. Clara managed fundraising, including $3,000 from the German Red Cross.

1889. Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Upon her arrival in Johnstown, Miss Barton immediately set up Red Cross headquarters in a tent on Prospect Hill overlooking the stricken valley. Another Red Cross faction, from Philadelphia, headed by a Dr. Pancoast, also arrived and set up hospital facilities in tents.

The flood wasn’t a large-scale disaster, but it did reveal the need for preparedness. Up to that time, Clara had run the Red Cross as a centralized operation, dispatching funds and relief management after emergencies.

Recognizing the need to localize, Clara had Hubbell work with mayors and business owners in Louisville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis to start local chapters, the first of what is now a national network of some 230 chapters recruiting volunteers and financial support.

Within a few decades, Red Cross chapters were popping up all over northern Ohio. In
fact, one of the most influential early supporters of the fledgling Red Cross was
Cleveland-born Mable Boardman, who traveled the country promoting volunteerism.

Across the decades, the Red Cross has followed Clara’s lead, adding programs to meet vital needs across a wide scope of American life:

  • Collecting nearly 40% of the blood needed to sustain trauma victims, support surgery patients and treat people with acute conditions from cancer to sickle cell disease.
  • Training volunteers to help victims of natural and manmade disasters with shelter, food, emergency medical and emotional support as well as guidance to plan their recovery.
  • Teaching lifesaving skills ranging from first aid and CPR to swimming and lifeguarding, to disaster preparation for children and adults. This year, the Red Cross launched a new online course, “Until Help Arrives,” to train bystanders to respond to opioid overdoses, severe bleeding, cardiac arrest and choking emergencies.
  • Installing millions of free smoke alarms in homes across the country to prevent home fire injuries and deaths.
  • Supporting our men and women in the military, and their families, with pre- and post-deployment preparedness, and morale and wellness support stateside and overseas. This year, Red Cross volunteers delivered emergency messages connecting more than 87,000 service members with their loved ones in times of family need.
  • Serving as a vehicle for Americans’ desire to contribute to disaster prevention and response around the world. This year, the American Red Cross helped support the international response to such disasters as earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, drought and hunger crises in Africa and flooding in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the organization is taking steps to minimize its environmental impact by shifting to more hybrid and electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and eco-friendly supplies.

Clara Barton recognized the importance of adapting to emerging needs. As such, I see her as one of the most consequential women in American history. She set the template for humanitarian service: During 2022, more than 275,000 people in America stepped up to volunteer.

And she established an organization that continues – more than 133 years later – to adjust to society’s new needs: More than half a million people downloaded Red Cross disaster preparedness apps on their phones during 2022.

If you’d like to learn more about the many ways Red Cross volunteers and donors live out Clara’s vision, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on X at @RedCross.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

An intense, exhausting, grateful December

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A personal account of getting through a tough time

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

Streams of people, ambulances and occasionally a helicopter. In a parking lot and garage just beyond, cars arrive, depart, circle. Each time I look out the fourth-story window in my dad’s hospital room, I see this scene. Whether in the cerulean predawn, during the intense glow of short December days, or beneath pools of sodium light in long evenings, it continues. Lives impacted, whether through illness, tragedy, or disaster. Crises do not cease. I also watch the many who arrive to help, while others leave, often looking exhausted, and am grateful for them.

Tim Poe, Red Cross volunteer

The last few weeks have been a torrent of emotion, of worry, discussions, activity, seeking information, of varying between bleakness and optimism.

I am especially grateful to the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals working to identify the cause of and cure my dad’s illness and address the complications that arise. And to the blood donors and blood services personnel who enabled a transfusion to be ready if needed. I take a mental note to schedule a blood donation.

I hear rhythms of footsteps, medical equipment rolling on wheeled carts, voices, a cacophony of whirs and beeps emerging from medical devices, approaching sirens (silenced just before arrival), PA announcements, and occasionally the music-box chime of “Lullaby and Good Night” announcing a new life. I imagine orchestrating all this into a symphony.

I think of the times I have been in that and other ERs and hospitals in the area, as an American Red Cross volunteer, a patient, a friend, and family member. And how grateful I am to have been able to help and receive it when needed.

I have previously written about seeing the results when bringing help to those in need as a Red Cross volunteer. The tears of relief, smiles returning to faces, human resilience being bolstered, people beginning to recover and move forward, and especially gratitude.

Linda, Tim, and Billy Poe

My goal with this article, before my dad’s illness, was to focus on how much your help is needed and the tremendous good it does. As we have recently written, the need for Red Cross services is tremendous and continues to increase, with the climate crisis, global instability, and other factors. We have also written about seeing the impact of your donations, whether through financial support, volunteering time, or donating blood.

But now I wanted to offer another perspective, that of a family member during a time of need. While my dad’s illness is not the result of a disaster—although having a blood transfusion ready was necessary—I am trying to show a little of the intensity and worry felt when in need of help, and the thankfulness and relief when help is received.

My dad is home now. Recovery will take some time, including doses of antibiotics every eight hours, which I am administering via an IV attached to a PICC line. As I write this, we are on day six of 10. Since my formal education is in literature and music, this is far outside my area of expertise. I’m experiencing a fair amount of anxiety and fatigue. My Red Cross experience helps, especially managing in times of crisis, but I have needed and found help, advice, expertise, wisdom, and kindness from medical professionals, friends, family members, and others in the Red Cross. Each instance has helped keep me going, to refocus, to help the optimism win out over the bleakness. And for that I am deeply grateful.

Through all this, my family and I have not done much for the holiday season. I did put up a Christmas tree, and there are a few decorations. I have not been able to attend celebrations, and there won’t be much to wrap and unwrap, but if all continues to improve, the season will be one of the most grateful, thanks to those who helped.

So when life regains some normalcy, I’m more resolute than ever to continue helping where and how I can, help with and encourage financial support, and schedule a blood donation .

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Platelet donor understands impact of giving from both sides

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By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

As the director of manufacturing at the American Red Cross blood lab in Cleveland, Darlene Morris has a unique perspective on the importance of donating blood products. Over her 30+ year career in the biomedical field, Darlene has experience both working in hospitals and in the blood centers where products such as blood, platelets and plasma are processed.

Darlene Morris, All-Star Platelet Donor

This unique perspective has allowed her to not only understand what goes into making the blood products, but to witness firsthand the good that they can do.

“It is important to always keep blood on the shelf because you never know when something is going to happen,” said Darlene. “I’ve seen lives saved, and that’s why it’s important to me.”

In her current role, she oversees all of the blood once it’s been collected and returned to the Red Cross at the Warzel Donation Center in Cleveland. There the collections are divided into their respective products and sent back to the hospitals to be used. This center is the third-highest manufacturing site in the country, producing over 700,000 products last year serving Northern Ohio and the Detroit and Fort Wayne regions in Michigan.

She is also an all-star platelet donor, giving donations of platelets about once every two weeks for the past several years. Platelet donations can be made with a wait time of only around seven days, versus a 56-day interval between standard blood donations.

Platelets are an important blood component that enable clotting when there is an injury or trauma. They are also important for cancer patients and others suffering from hematological conditions. Darlene notes that “between the (blood) products being available and improved procedures, now a lot of people survive.”

Darlene Morris, All-Star Platelet Donor

Darlene’s experiences have shaped her views of blood donations and the people they serve.

“For me, I feel like it’s been a privilege to be a part of the Red Cross,” she explained. “It’s been a blessing to me, and this has been the greatest career. It’s not just about me, it’s about everybody else that we help.”

Learn more about the different types of blood donations you can give this holiday season here.

To find a blood drive near you, click here and enter your zip code.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Shedding light on Sickle Cell Disease

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

Sickle Cell Disease is hiding in plain sight, and La’Shardae Scott is determined to bring it into the spotlight.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most common genetic blood disorder in the United States, afflicting some 100,000 people, primarily those of African descent. Every year, an estimated 1,000 babies are born with SCD.

During September, Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the American Red Cross is teaming up with SCD crusaders like La’Shardae to bring attention to this painful and life-threatening disorder.

The Scott Family: Eric, La’Shardae, Emory, Evan, Eric and Liam

La’Shardae has launched the nonprofit Scott Center for Observation, Treatment and Transition in Oregon, Ohio, to minimize infant mortality in populations of color and help families and individuals with SCD transition successfully from pediatric to adult care.

She’s well aware that people of color have a fraught history with the medical establishment, which leads to poor doctor-patient relationships. Even today, misconceptions persist about Black people’s tolerance for pain.

“Patients born with this condition don’t look ill; they learn to manage their pain, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real,” she said. “So when they finally seek help, they get dismissed as drug-seeking and that leads to further complications.”

Screening of newborns for SCD is now routine in all 50 states, but too often parents — confronted with the sudden notice that their baby has an incurable condition — don’t know how to handle that reality as the child grows, La’Shardae said.

At her house, she relies on medications, appropriate diet and “hydration, hydration, hydration” to keep her two SCD “warriors,” eight-year-old Emory and Evan, 7, thriving. At the same time, she advocates for them when they experience the acute pain and other side effects typical of SCD. But she knows the damaging effects accumulate.

SCD causes red blood cells to take the shape of crescent moons or sickles. These misshapen cells don’t carry their full load of oxygen throughout the body, leading to anemia, pain “crises” and gradual damage to organs and tissues. Worse yet, the sickled cells tend to clump together, causing strokes.

Transfusions play a key role in “diluting” these defective cells in the blood stream, easing pain and slowing damage. Blood from one in three African American donors carries unique characteristics — antigens — that make it a close match for SCD patients.

This is where the Red Cross comes in. As supplier of more than 40% of the nation’s whole blood and blood products, the Red Cross needs a diverse donor population to meet the many unique transfusion needs.

Since launching its Sickle Cell Initiative in 2021, the Red Cross has seen a 60% increase in first- time African American blood donors to more than 45,000.

La’Shardae is working hard to boost that number. She uses social media platforms, Facebook Live and community presentations to educate and recruit. You can read all about her activities at scottcenteroh.org.

Her next event is the Scott Community Blood Drive in partnership with the Red Cross, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 16 at 653 Miami St. in Toledo.

To register to give blood, go to redcrossblood.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or use the free Red Cross blood donor app.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Pet CPR? Yeah, there’s an app for that!

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By Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

As a lifelong pet owner and pet lover, I hope I’m never in a situation where I’d need to perform CPR on my dog. And while I hope it never comes to that, I can find comfort in the fact that if it does, the American Red Cross has a free app that can show me exactly what I need to do.

Amos and Dublin

From recognizing warning signs to the ABCs of pet CPR (airway, breathing, circulation), the Pet First Aid app has you covered. With lifesaving instructions on allergic reactions, bleeding, car accidents, poisoning and more, the app helps you prepare for virtually every scenario you can imagine. It also gives guidance on how to include your pet in your emergency preparedness plans. And after you’ve brushed up on your emergency pet response, put your knowledge to the test with a quiz.

In addition to emergency response information, the Red Cross provides wellness tips for your pet. It offers information on what supplies to have in your home and on hand for your cat or dog. You can upload not only your vet’s information, but also your pet’s information for easy access in case of an emergency.

So in the spirit of National Dog Day that just passed and National Cat Day that’s coming up in October, take a moment and download the free Pet First Aid app. You can find it by going to redcross.org/apps or by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in app stores. Who knows, you could save your furry friend’s life!

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

An apprehensive volunteer turned regular blood donor: How Ashley Hopkins discovered just how special her blood is

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By Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

More than 20 years ago, if you’d asked Ashley Hopkins about donating blood, you may have gotten a cringe coupled with a shake of the head. While she’d grown up around blood donors and blood drives (her father was a firefighter, now fire captain), donating herself was never really an option.

Ashley Hopkins, American Red Cross board member, volunteer and blood donor

“Back then I had a crazy fear of not even needles, but needles taking blood out — it just freaked me out so I never did it,” Ashley said. 

So how did someone with a healthy fear of the blood donation process wind up a volunteer for the American Red Cross Blood Services and a regular donor? 

“I went to volunteermatch.org and put in my zip code, and (blood services) came up as a flexible option with weekend availability.” So despite Ashley’s apprehensions, it was a perfect match, and as she’d soon find out, even more perfect than she’d initially thought. 

Ashley started out working weekend blood drives. “I did a background check and then shadowed someone for a couple of blood drives and then I was on my own,” she said, noting that back in 2012 things were “a little bit different.” 

At one of those blood drives at the Canfield fair (Ashley’s favorite blood drive), she was working a few days in a row with one specific blood rep who asked her why she’d never donated before.

“I don’t know, it just seemed kinda scary,” Ashley replied. But that same day she decided to roll up her sleeve and donate — on the bus at the fair, which Ashley highly recommends. “It is heaven,” she advocated. 

When you donate blood, the Red Cross tests your blood. And that’s when Ashley found out how special hers was. “I did not know that they were testing for a specific allele (genetic information present in your DNA) in your blood that is an antibody.” After donating Ashley got an email saying that her blood was CMV negative, which is quite rare. 

Red Cross board member and volunteer Lou Joseph with Ashley Hopkins

From RedCross.org: CMV is generally harmless to adults but can be fatal to babies. For this reason, babies needing transfusions as part of their medical care should only receive blood from donors who have not been exposed to CMV (CMV negative).

And being O-Positive, Ashley’s blood is even more special, as she’s compatible with roughly 80 percent of people who need blood! Even more of a reason for her to donate regularly — every 56 days, if she can. 

When asked what she’d say to someone who is apprehensive about donating for the first time, especially someone who is nervous or scared, Ashley simply said, “Volunteer at a blood drive!” She said seeing it happen and helping with the process helped her overcome her fear of not just needles, but the whole process.

To find a blood drive near you, CLICK HERE. To learn about volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross, CLICK HERE.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross volunteer

Apartment building residents placed in short-term housing

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Red Cross sheltering operations cease after six days

Residents of the Terrace Towers apartments in East Cleveland have been relocated to other short-term housing options, and the shelter operated by the American Red Cross has closed.

Red Cross workers preparing meal distribution.  Photo credit: Cuyahoga County Multimedia

More than 130 residents took refuge in the shelter for six nights, after fire forced them to flee on Monday, July 3rd . They took refuge the first two nights at the Salvation Army East Cleveland Corps Community Center. On Wednesday, the shelter was transferred to a dormitory at Case Western Reserve University. The shelter closed on Sunday.

It was the largest sheltering operation in Northern Ohio since 2004.

 Tom Revolinsky, Red Cross disaster program manager, and Alfreda Scott, Terrace Towers resident.  Photo credit:  American Red Cross

“We made a lot of friends,” said Tom Revolinsky, Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio. “A lot of the residents were understandably upset when they were forced out of their homes on the night before the fourth of July, but by the time they left the shelter on Sunday, we were getting lots of hugs.”

During the six nights of shelter operations, the Red Cross provided:
 525 overnight shelter stays
 2,023 meals
 304 health services
 256 comfort kits (personal hygiene items)
 125 blankets
 Continuous emotional support

Officials with RHM Real Estate Group, the Terrace Towers property management firm, is providing alternative housing options for the residents while repairs to the apartment complex are being made.

“We’re grateful to Terrace Towers property management for working so diligently this week to find alternative lodging for their residents,” said Emily Probst, Regional Disaster Officer for the Red Cross of Northern Ohio. “And we thank the Salvation Army for providing space for the first two nights, and Case Western Reserve University for opening one of their dormitories to these residents.”

Emmanuel Grant, Terrace Towers resident.  Photo credit: American Red Cross

Emmanuel Grant, one of the residents of Terrace Towers who took refuge at the Red Cross shelter, said, “One thing I appreciate about the Red Cross; they follow scripture when it said to extend hospitality, caring for your neighbor. So these things have really been a blessing.”

Alfreda Scott, Terrace Towers resident. Photo credit: American Red Cross

“My experience, believe it or not, has been wonderful,” said shelter resident Alfreda Scott. “It’s just been like a nice community, and everyone’s been hugging and supporting each other, and it’s been wonderful.”

She said once her housing situation stabilizes, she plans to become a Red Cross volunteer.

“I made some new friends.”

You can hear more from Emmanuel and Alfreda in this video here.

See more photos here.

Red Cross and County Emergency Management workers.  Photo credit:  Cuyahoga County Multimedia

The Red Cross received assistance from several organizations, including the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management, and several businesses stepped-up to provide meals, including Bon Appetit, Case Western Reserve University’s food service provider.

“No one organization can carry out such a challenging task alone, and we’re thankful for all the help the residents received,” said Probst. “We’re also indebted to our dedicated volunteer workforce. We could not have provided such valuable assistance without them.”

To learn more about volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org/volunteer.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

World Sickle Cell Day

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross Volunteer

What do Juneteenth (today) and World Sickle Cell Day (also today) have in common? Both of these events focus on African Americans.

Glinda Dames-Fincher is a member of the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Sub-committee in northern Ohio. She’s a proud, outspoken “sickle cell warrior” calling for more Black blood donors.

Glinda Dames-Fincher

“Over 80 percent of Americans with Sickle Cell Anemia are of African descent, and ethnicity matters with blood transfusion,” she said. Many individuals who are Black have unique structures on their red blood cells that make their donations the most compatible to help patients with sickle cell disease. Glinda likes to think of it as “special sauce.”

“So please, African Americans, roll up your sleeves and help sickle cell warriors like me fight their battle!”

For Glinda, the need is personal. In order to combat the many effects of sickle cell (SCD) on her body, she gets two units of red blood cells every month; the procedure involves withdrawing one unit of her damaged blood each time and then transfusing in two units of healthy red cells.

She figures she’s received more than 600 units of red cells, between regular transfusions and the many surgeries she’s undergone to repair organs damaged by oxygen deprivation.

Glinda is a wealth of knowledge about sickle cell:

 This inherited disorder makes red blood cells sticky, rigid and curl into a C “sickle” shape, limiting their ability to carry oxygen into every tissue in the body. The misshapen cells also tend to clump, leading to various complications. “For many pediatrics, a stroke is their first major sickle cell event,” she said.

 When tissues are starved of oxygen, something as simple as a change in the weather can trigger excruciating pain – called a sickle cell crisis – lasting from hours to days or even weeks. That often sends sickle cell sufferers to emergency rooms for treatment, including pain killers and blood transfusions.

 Sickled red blood cells also die prematurely: The distorted cells die within 10 to 20 days, compared to normal red blood cells that typically last 100 to 120 days. That leads to a shortage of red blood cells, a type of anemia. Here again, transfusions are crucial.

 Glinda is 64. “When I was born, life expectancy for a sickle cell patient was 18 years. Now it’s 40 to 60 years, thanks to medications and research,” she said. However, over time, patients may be subject to persistent infections, and damage to kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs.

 SCD affects more than 100,000 people in the United States. Eight out of 10 of them are of African descent; the rest are Hispanic or trace their ancestry to south Asia (such as India), southern Europe (Greece and Italy) or the Middle East (such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon).

 SCD testing is part of the routine blood tests for newborns in the United States. Additionally, the Red Cross provides sickle cell trait testing for all blood donors who identify themselves as Black or African American. Those with the “trait” inherited a sickle cell gene from one parent; those who got a sickle cell gene from both parents are born with the disease.

Since the best blood match for a patient receiving ongoing transfusions comes from donors of the same genetic background, the Red Cross is urging people of all ethnicities to give blood and help increase the number of diverse donors, so we can find the best match for all patients.

Watch this video that documents Glinda’s ongoing struggle with sickle cell disease.

In honor of Juneteenth, learn more about SCD and please make an appointment to donate blood at RedCrossBlood.org/SickleCell.

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

Committed to helping those who serve

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May is Military Appreciation Month

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

As American Red Cross volunteers and staff members, we have been honored to work alongside several veterans, some of whom we have had the honor of featuring on this blog. In addition to the values of service, commitment, and being part of an effective team, they speak of the importance of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF). SAF has been vital during their military careers and as veterans, often leading them to join the Red Cross themselves.

Contributing authors and those profiled include Cynthia Skidmore, Brinton Lincoln, Chiane Martin, Dave Riegler, Brook Harless, Sally Falasca, Paul Svasta and of course the CEO of the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region and Rear Admiral, US Coast Guard (Retired), Mike Parks.

May is Military Appreciation Month and May 20th is Armed Forces Day. The Red Cross has been committed to assisting military members, veterans, and their families since its inception in 1881. Services include emergency financial assistance, counseling, and support for veterans.

One of the most important roles is providing emergency communication services. Whether a natural disaster, family illness, or other crises, members of the Red Cross help connect military families. Speaking personally as a member of an extended military family, I have often seen the effectiveness of these services in bringing relatives home when needed.

Pre-deployment event at Youngstown Air Reserve Station

Military families receive support to help cope with the challenges of military life, such as frequent moves, deployments, and separations. One very popular program is animal visitation.

Additional Red Cross services help improve the well-being of service members, veterans, and military families. These include reconnection workshops to help adjust to post-deployment life, and military hospital programs to provide comfort and support to wounded service members and their families.

For Military Appreciation Month, please join us in thanking military members, veterans, and military families for their service. Please also consider helping support them through volunteering with the Red Cross or providing a donation.

SAF volunteer roles include:

  • Delivering critical emergency messages through the Red Cross Hero Care Network.
  • For both medical and non-medical volunteers, providing patient comfort and care for injured service members and their families.
  • For mental health professionals, leading free resiliency workshops for military families in need.

You can get more information about how you can volunteer to help members of the military, veterans and their families here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer


Using her spare time to give back to our community

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By Sam Pudelski, American Red Cross volunteer

When Jenn Mayfield found herself with some extra time and a need to complete community service to graduate with her degree in IT, she immediately thought of the American Red Cross. “I know the Red Cross and the reputation of blood services and how [they help] so many people with blood products,” she said.

A little over a year ago, she began volunteering with the Red Cross Northern Ohio Region as a volunteer candidate screener. In this role, screeners speak with people who have signed up to volunteer with the Red Cross to help place them in a role that not only fits the candidate’s interests and skills, but also is a good fit within the organization. It also allows her to volunteer after work in the evenings and on weekends since it is a remote position. Jenn enjoys the role because she loves to volunteer and connect with people. “I know that every time I talk with someone on the phone or answer someone’s question, I feel like I’m contributing in a positive way.”

In addition to her role as a volunteer candidate screener, she decided to start a second role with Red Cross headquarters in the department of public inquiry in July 2022. Not only did it allow her to further her passion for volunteering, but she also learned more about the services the Red Cross provides internationally and here at home. With the public inquiry team, Jenn helps answer questions, inquiries, complaints and comments from the public. Since this role also is remote, she fits in volunteering as her schedule allows.

Jenn looks at her opportunity to volunteer as a way to do something rewarding with some of her free time. In addition to her two permanent volunteer roles, she checks the Red Cross Volunteer Connection portal for other opportunities to give back. In fact, she recently volunteered at the Dominion Preparedness Day on April 1st. It was her first volunteer event, and she brought her fiancée as well. In addition to volunteering, she gives back by donating blood whenever she can.  Jenn truly believes that every little bit can help our communities, “even an hour a day or a couple hours a week can make a big impact.”

To all of those who are thinking of the Red Cross, Jenn can’t recommend it enough. As a part of the volunteer services team, she knows firsthand there are tons of different roles across the system that can fit for various interests and skills. In Northern Ohio, there are plenty of opportunities that allow individuals to volunteer when it fits their schedule, offering both in person or remote roles. “Honestly, there’s something for everybody. There’s a volunteer role for everyone.” To learn more about current volunteer opportunities in Northern Ohio, visit us here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer