Member Stories

Eric F. “I joined YouthCorps to serve the community in a meaningful way. I’ve learned about organizing service projects, and I hope to learn even more by staying active in YouthCorps. Volunteering at blood drives makes me feel good because I’m serving others.” Eric joined YouthCorps his sophomore year at Parkway North. In his spare time he enjoys golf, running, ultimate Frisbee, and playing the drums and keyboard.

Adee H. "I’m very happy with the number and diversity of volunteer opportunities that YouthCorps provides. As a member, I was trained in CPR and First Aid and while I hope to never have to use my training, I’m glad that I know what to do in an emergency.” Adee joined the Parkway North High School YouthCorps group her junior year. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing and riding horses. As a YouthCorps member, Adee is a member of the Youth Advisory Board and she volunteered at a local food bank and blood drive.

Prachi M. “I joined Red Cross YouthCorps in middle school and it has been such an amazing experience. I have made new friends and have strengthened my leadership skills." Prachi, a graduate of Parkway North High School, began volunteering with the Red Cross when she entered middle school. Her extra-curricular activities include debating, swimming and dance. Prachi is a National Youth Champion for the Measles Initiative, a campaign to vaccinate every child in Africa against measles. She is also a youth representative on the St. Louis Area Chapter Board of Directors. Prachi now attends the University of Missouri and is Pre-Med Biology Major. Her Red Cross family is very proud of her contributions to her community and to the St. Louis Area Chapter. We wish her much success in her future endeavors.

Michael W.   “I joined YouthCorps my freshman year of high school, not knowing too much about the program. What I found is that it is so much more than I expected. My favorite part has been teaching middle school students how to be prepared for an unexpected emergency. It feels good to help other kids and it is a really fun way to get involved in the community.” Michael, a graduate of Hazelwood Central High School, was a leader who made many contributions to the St. Louis Area Chapter. He was a founding member and first president of the Youth Advisory Board and was also a member of the St. Louis Area Chapter Board of Directors. While Michael is now a college student at Simpson College, he credits the Red Cross leadership program as being the pivotal point where he began to visualize himself as a youth leader. Michael sums it up best, “Volunteering with the Red Cross has helped make me become a completely different person than who I was when I entered high school. It’s been so much a part of my life that it’s hard for me to imagine not being involved with the Red Cross for a very long time. For the immediate future, I plan to maintain an active role in motivating youth locally as well as nationally to volunteer with the Red Cross.”

Scott F. “I joined YouthCorps after a friend invited me to a meeting. I thought it was a fun way to meet new people and get involved. Right now my group is producing a safety video and since I am interested in film and video production it is a fun way for me to give back to my community.” Scott, a junior at Pattonville High School began volunteering at the beginning of his sophomore school year. He enjoys film, photography and the opportunity volunteering gives him to meet friends outside of his school. Scott is the club’s cinematographer and is responsible for making and editing a video for middle school youth.

Frank H. “I joined YouthCorps because my friends Mike and Will were members. Now I feel like I’ve finally accomplished something to help my community. It’s a good feeling.” Frank joined YouthCorps his sophomore year at Hazelwood Central. In the last two years he attended the American Red Cross National Convention in San Francisco, he made a comic book about the value of volunteering, he helped create a safety video and he has attended numerous retreats and leadership development camp. In his free time, Frank likes to play music and hang out with friends.

Todd C. “I’ve had a lot fun since joining YouthCorps. I’ve met many new friends and worked on fun projects like safety comic books, board games and a youth-focused newsletter.” Todd is a senior Pattonville Heights. He joined YouthCorps as a junior and he has been involved in numerous projects including the design of a safety comic book, a board game and “Soapbox,” a youth-focused newsletter. In his spare time, Todd enjoys climbing trees, music, biking and art.

Vaishnavi H. “I joined YouthCorps because I wanted to help my community. I’ve always heard that volunteering makes a person feel great, and I completely agree. I enjoy helping others, and meeting so many new kids along the way is an added bonus.” Vaishnavi became a YouthCorps member as a sophomore at MICDS. She enjoys reading and dancing. She is a founding member of her YouthCorps group and she has volunteered at a local foodbank, at a YouthCorps sponsored blood drive, and teaching good health and hygiene to preschoolers through the Red Cross “Scrubby Bear” program.