"Whether it's helping a family recover from a house fire, teaching First Aid and CPR so people can save lives, or helping blood donors feel comfortable, our volunteers enable the American Red Cross to help the community," said Joseph C. White, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. "Volunteers are at the heart of what we do at the American Red Cross. They provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies."

 

Red Cross volunteers "Change the World" in a positive way by serving meals to disaster victims and working at shelters for people who have been evacuated from their homes or need a place to stay during power outages. They also teach children how to swim, certify lifeguards for public/private pools, and educate the public about HIV/AIDS and other health-related issues. In addition, volunteers give presentations at schools, churches and other community/civic organizations to help prepare people to Be Red Cross Ready for disasters and emergencies. 

 

Here are a few Red Cross volunteers who inspire by example and motivate others to serve:

 

Roy is a 30-year Teamster who became a trusted leader in the Red Cross disaster relief effort for Hurricane Katrina victims. Roy spent 30 consecutive weeks supervising a team of 32 Red Cross volunteers and 20 refrigerated trailers that were sent to the Gulf Coast. Less than a year later during the massive power outage of July 2006, he found himself serving as a Red Cross liaison at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in downtown St. Louis. In 2007, Roy went to California and provided relief to victims of the wildfires as a Red Cross Labor Relations Manager. He served as the main liaison between the carpenters and Red Cross. His team assisted more than 2,500 people every night.

 

Don's first disaster assignment was in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd slammed into the east coast. Since then, he has served on a total of 24 national disaster assignments. In 2001 after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Don was appointed as an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) Coordinator at the Pentagon. He helped to provide nourishment, shelter and comfort to hundreds of emergency personnel that worked around the clock. Three years later, Don received the 2004 Volunteer of the Year Award, the highest honor given by the St. Louis Area Chapter for outstanding service. The Chapter staff and fellow volunteers nominated him because of his level of commitment to the Red Cross, his willingness to help whenever called upon and his friendly attitude. Don also volunteers at the Metro East Service Center as a shelter manager, and he works with DAT as well as the Lifeline program.

 

Mary Jo began volunteering with the American Red Cross in Dayton, Ohio. While there, she became a certified health and safety instructor. In 1984, Mary Jo moved to St. Louis and immediately contacted the St. Louis Area Chapter to pursue volunteer opportunities. She worked with fellow volunteers to develop the Red Cross Lifesaver Award program. Mary Jo has also been involved with a variety of Red Cross services and programs, ranging from health and safety training to HIV/AIDS education. She serves on the St. Louis Area Chapter Board of Directors and the Regional Awards and Service Council, and chairs the Health and Safety committee. Additionally, Mary Jo coordinated the volunteers for the American Red Cross National Convention held in St. Louis and has worked with her husband as National Volunteer auditors.

 

Danielle is currently a junior student at Fox High School. Danielle joined YouthCorps in September 2006. Her YouthCorps group organized a fundraiser for the Measles Initiative. For every dollar raised, they were able to help the Red Cross give a measles vaccine to a child in Africa. "The fundraiser was a huge success and it feels good to make a difference in my community," said Danielle. "This is just one of dozens of activities that I have completed as a YouthCorps member." In addition to serving with the Disaster Action Team (DAT), Danielle is the vice president of the Youth Advisory Board and is a committee co-chairperson for the National Youth Institute, scheduled to be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield in a few weeks. She also serves as a St. Louis Area Chapter governing Board member because of her demonstrated commitment to the Red Cross mission.  

 

Renee has been a volunteer for the St. Louis Area Chapter since 2004. She has already been deployed on five national Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) assignments. Renee's most recent deployment occurred just hours after Hurricane Katrina hit News Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast. After arriving in Miami, she met one-on-one with hurricane victims, listened to their needs and then provided funds for food, shelter, clothing and other immediate necessities. To many people, Renee was a hero. She compassionately listened to each person in their time of need and helped them begin their recovery process.

 

After dedicating 37 years to the Spanish Lake Fire Department, with 27 of those years spent as chief, Larry knows first-hand the important role Red Cross plays on the scene of a disaster. His first assignment was with DAT. Last year, Larry was deployed to southern California to help with wildfire relief efforts as part of the Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) team. During a four-week period, he supported the Red Cross shelter kitchen staff, went on food runs and provided assistance in the warehouse. Larry currently works as a Chapter warehouse volunteer and typically spends four to five hours a day at the St. Charles County Service Center in St. Peters. He was awarded recently with the 2007 Volunteer of the Year Award, which is an honor bestowed on individuals who have had the most profound impact on the St. Charles County Service Center and local Red Cross programs and services.

 

In Jefferson County, Tom, a retired Chrysler employee, has logged nearly 400 volunteer hours during the past 12 months. He originally signed up to be a volunteer in the year 2000 after picking up blankets at the Red Cross Service Center for a family who lost their home to a fire. In 2003, Tom and his extended family volunteered to work in a Red Cross food kitchen established to help families victimized by tornado damage in DeSoto. Following Hurricane Katrina, he was deployed to Jackson, Mississippi, for 21 days to assist with Logistics. Not only is Tom an excellent DAT leader, but also he leads community education presentations and staffs health and safety fairs.

 

In July 2005, Vinod began looking for volunteer opportunities in the St. Louis area. His search led him to the Disaster Action Team (DAT) at the St. Louis Area Chapter. After completing the orientation training course, Vinod joined DAT and began working eight-hour shifts on Saturdays. He's been doing this every weekend for more than two years. Vinod and his team members have often been among the first on the scene of a disaster. They take pride in their work as they help meet people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. Their compassion and caring is evident as they provide shelter, food, and medical and mental health services to address basic human needs and enable victims to resume their normal daily activities.

 

Lorraine is dedicating her golden years to helping local seniors lead their own independent lives. She has been a St. Louis Area Chapter volunteer for six years and works within the Chapter's health and safety department with Lifeline – a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS). Subscribers wear Lifeline monitors as a wristband or a necklace. If clients need help, they simply push the button on the monitor. A Lifeline operator is immediately notified and he/she starts calling emergency phone numbers on a pre-determined list. Lorraine goes around giving Lifeline presentations and promotes the Chapter’s In-Touch Program. Subscribers get a cheerful phone call from a Red Cross volunteer on a weekly basis to ensure they are safe and satisfied with the service.

 

More detailed descriptions of these volunteer stories and others can be found on the St. Louis Area Chapter website. The direct link is http://www.redcrossstl.org/ImMostInterestedIn/RedCrossIsYouStories/tabid/154/Default.aspx.

National Volunteer Week was created in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order to establish the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. And every year since that time, each U. S. president, along with many governors, mayors and other elected officials, has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week.

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.