► Hey y’all! My name is Erica Suhling, and I will be spending ten months with the AmeriCorps program at the American Red Cross Service Center in Jefferson County doing disaster response. I am originally from Carlinville, IL; just another run of the mill small town, USA off of interstate 55 between St. Louis and Springfield, IL. I will be spending a lot more time in the St. Louis area now, but my favorite part of St. Louis has been and will continue to be the St. Louis Cardinals. Go Birds! I’m excited to get through training and looking forward to serving St. Louis and the surrounding communities!

 

► Hello again! I’m Katie Beall and I am the Response Member for the St. Louis Area Chapter American Red Cross. I had such a good time serving on DAT and working alongside our Disaster Specialists last year that I decided to return for another term. I went home to Georgia for a couple weeks to relax, rejuvenate, and watch some Braves baseball (*editor’s note: Katie also appreciates Cardinals baseball). This term I will again be spending a lot of time with DAT (Disaster Action Team) and also working on some special projects for the Disaster Department. I am excited to have been welcomed back so warmly by our staff and wonderful volunteers, and am looking forward to another year of serving the St. Louis area. J

 

► Hi there, I’m Anne! This year with the Red Cross in St. Louis will be my third AmeriCorps/something similar experience. I grew up in Alaska and attended college in Washington State at Gonzaga University. After graduation, I began a program similar to AmeriCorps. I volunteered one school year teaching Kindergarten on a reservation in Montana. After that, I decided teaching wasn’t for me and went home to Alaska to figure out my next step. That year I ended up as an AmeriCorps volunteer at a homeless shelter for families. When my term ended, I packed up my car, and drove to Missouri. I had no idea what I was going to do when I got here and had no reason whatsoever for choosing St Louis – but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I’ve been in St Louis for about a year now and am loving it! This term I will focus on teaching emergency preparedness classes to youth. 

 

► Hi! I’m Teresa Lange, and I just moved to St. Louis in May after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. I double majored in Religious Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies. Although my college education was certainly invaluable, I wanted to find a job that would provide me with experience and direction for my future career endeavors! I was thrilled to find this AmeriCorps position with the St. Louis Area Chapter American Red Cross. My specific role here will mostly comprise of teaching adult/senior emergency preparedness classes. I will also be helping with various areas of response like DAT and DSHR (Disaster Services Human Resources), as well. I am excited to be a part of such an inviting, challenging organization and can’t wait to see where it takes me. I am also very excited to experience living in the wonderful world of St. Louis. I’ve already discovered my love for t-ravs, the City Museum and concretes – I’ll keep you posted about my journeys!

 

Erica, Katie, Anne and Teresa