My Internship with the Red Cross: Part 2

Written by: Morgan Levin, Intern

Over the past month, I have served as an intern with the Communications Department at the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region. I have nothing but good memories from this internship. I have managed to discover far more than I could have expected in various departments of the Red Cross.

I knew the Red Cross was famous worldwide as a non-profit for the blood they collect and then give (40% of the USA's supply), but I did not know that the Red Cross is far more than that. As one of the nation's leading organizations in blood research, they also provide CPR training, first aid classes, respond to disasters such as house fires or floods, assist military families, and are part of the world's humanitarian network. Moreover, the Red Cross remains efficient while relying massively on a volunteer workforce. As an intern, I felt part of this while supporting the organization.

My work mainly consisted of writing blog posts for the website, but I also got to visit with other departments to get insight into what they do for the organization. For example, I learned the impact of the International Services departments reconnecting families program by speaking to a long-time, devoted volunteer, who explained how rewarding it is to successfully reconnect relatives separated by conflicts. To understand the assistance the Red Cross provides to military families, I spent a day with the Service to the Armed Forces Director to see how much of a difference we really make for the members of the military and their families.

Overall, the Red Cross experience will always hold a special place in my heart, as I met some great people and am delighted to see that there are people committed to making a difference for others that are less lucky.