Friday, July 8, 2016

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Daphne Osei 

By Tonia Callender

After earning her college degree, Daphne Osei decided to take some time off from her studies to make a positive difference in her community. Over fifteen months ago, she visited her local Red Cross in Montgomery County, Maryland to see how she could help. The local Youth Team needed some assistance, and Daphne stepped in as an Adult Advisor for the group.

As an adult advisor, Daphne works with about a dozen high school students who plan and implement a variety of service projects in Montgomery County. This past February, the group even sent valentine messages to local veterans. Daphne finds that as a young college graduate she can better relate to the teens and more easily connect with them. Daphne acts as a mentor, giving team members advice and information that they can pass on to their friends. She believes that the key to her youth team’s success has been allowing the teens to have control. “We let them set their own goals and help them to achieve them,” she said.

In addition to advising the Youth Team, Daphne works as a trainer, teaching about fire prevention. She also helps to promote the Red Cross by volunteering at information tables. Daphne enjoys meeting with people in the community and providing them with advice and assistance because, she says, “The people we meet give us wonderful feedback and let us know how much they appreciate our help.”  

For Daphne, volunteering with the Red Cross has been both an educational and very enjoyable experience. Working with others has allowed Daphne to further develop her own teaching and training styles. She has also become very knowledgeable about fire safety and how to survive disasters. Daphne finds that Red Cross volunteers are easy to connect with. “We work together so well, even if we have never met before,” she said.

Daphne loves to promote the Red Cross. She always reaches out to others in her community and encourages them to volunteer with the organization. For her, one of the more rewarding aspects of working with the Red Cross is that you can learn something new and then share the knowledge you have acquired with others. Knowing that she is helping people learn how to survive a disaster or other emergency gives Daphne a great sense of satisfaction and pride. 

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