Janie Miller describes herself as an “ordinary person.” Like most Red Cross volunteers, however, she’s doing extraordinary things.

 

In 1993, as the St. Louis region was hit with devastating floods, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter made a television appeal, seeking volunteers to help those affected by the disaster. Janie immediately picked up the phone to volunteer her time and personally help the thousands of her neighbors affected by the flood.

 

In her first assignment as a Red Cross volunteer, Janie served as a client services associate, meeting with individual families to help assess their needs and start their road to recovery by providing them food, clothing, shelter and referrals. This life-changing experience also taught Janie something about herself.

 

“I had no idea there was a Disaster Services, but I discovered that was my niche and what I had been looking for all my life,” Janie explained. Today, Janie continues to provide a wide array of community support services, ranging from working at disaster scenes to teaching others how to take personal responsibility for preparedness.

 

Volunteerism has always been important in Janie’s family, a value passed down from her mother. “My mother was the ultimate volunteer,” she said. “She was my role model.” Following her mother’s footsteps, Janie has volunteered for weekly shifts for the past 13 years on one of the Red Cross Disaster Action Teams. The St. Louis Area Chapter maintains 200 teams of disaster action volunteers, who respond to local fires, storms, floods, hazardous material spills and many other disasters 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. Janie’s volunteer commitment even extends to Christmas night, when her Disaster Action Team is on duty from midnight to 8 a.m.

 

Throughout her more than decade of service as a Red Cross volunteer, Janie has seen firsthand how Red Cross fulfills its mission to be a humanitarian organization led by volunteers. That was never more apparent then the day Janie’s close family friend collapsed and stopped breathing. Janie and her sister, Janice, knew how to respond, quickly but calmly performing team rescue breathing and CPR. Thanks to the sisters’ quick actions, the family friend recovered. In recognition of their heroic actions, Janie and Janice were awarded Lifesaver Awards in December 2007.

 

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help people who are facing a difficult time in their lives,” Janie said. “The Red Cross trains ordinary people to do extraordinary things. It takes humanitarians and trains them to become front line humanitarians. The confidence the Red Cross has in its volunteers is amazing. It is an honor to be associated with an organization that does so much for so many.”