My Red Cross Story: Will Chai

Written by: Sandy Habib, Communications Volunteer

Young people have so many choices when it comes to how they can spend their leisure time. There’s nothing more inspiring, though, than hearing stories about youth that spend countless hours giving back to their communities in profound ways.

Will Chai’s Red Cross story spans several U.S. states and numerous projects, groups and missions. Will spent his early childhood in Iowa and Kansas, where he grew up with a strong Red Cross presence, especially during tornado season. By the time he and his family moved to Maryland for Will’s high school years, he had a clear impression of the relief and comfort that the Red Cross is so famous for bringing to those affected by disasters.

In his freshman summer of high school, Will and his friend, Brendan Tan, started a Red Cross club at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. Will served as Co-President and Founder for his remaining three years at the school. In his role, he recruited many members and facilitated countless activities.

During his tenure, Will was elected onto the National Capital Region’s Volunteer Appreciation Committee, where he helped create policies that improved volunteer engagement in the region. In 2017, he served as a Citizen CPR Leader and Blood Services Ambassador. Will hosted numerous fundraisers, conducted disaster preparedness education sessions, scheduled group speakers, assembled disaster preparedness kits and made house visits as part of the Sound the Alarm program, to name a few.

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“The Red Cross experience is what you make of it.  We have so many activities, so many opportunities for youth to get involved, even if it’s just 1-2 hours a week.”

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Will was recognized for his efforts by being awarded the 2015-2016 Youth Volunteer of the Year for the National Capital Region. He also received the 2015 and 2016 Presidential Volunteer Service Award and was selected to be the host and speaker for the 2016 National Capital Region’s Red Cross Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

Will’s story continued as he headed off to Brown University, where he is currently in his sophomore year. In between his health, human biology, and pre-med studies, he has continued with his commitment to the Red Cross. Brown didn’t have a Red Cross presence on campus before Will arrived, but he reached out to the Red Cross in the Connecticut/Rhode Island region to change that.

The CT/RI chapter introduced him to people at Brown who were able to help Will submit the application to formalize a presence on campus. He now serves as the official Red Cross Club Chapter contact at Brown University and began recruiting members when COVID-19 hit and campus was evacuated. Although he is currently living with his family in Maryland, he is actively making plans for when Brown University reopens and students return: fundraisers, volunteer recruitment on campus, community engagement throughout the local region, connection with other Red Cross clubs in the area and partnerships with area high schools.

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“If you help your neighbor, they are more likely to pay it forward and help someone else.  Sometimes you need to get the ball rolling to foster that kind of culture. This is what I want to do at Brown and in the local community. I want to build that kind of culture.”

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The other inspirational part of Will’s story is that his experience with the Red Cross has influenced his studies and his future career aspirations. He ultimately wants to focus on health equity, health education, and health policy. His spirit of social activism as a young person has triggered a professional commitment to give back to society. Will was selected to participate in a fellowship and intern on Capitol Hill this summer. This will give him a great direct experience learning about health policy.

While Will adds more to his education and career development workloads, he continues to work with the Red Cross. He is currently the Peer Outreach Working Group Lead on the National Youth Council of the Red Cross. This Council consists of 13 youth members and two adult advisors who represent and support youth volunteers throughout the country. They are advocates for youth and young adults, and they’re a part of the National Youth Engagement Team in Red Cross Volunteer Services, working very closely with other National Headquarters departments to create programs and initiatives that benefit youth volunteers. Though their adult advisors offer guidance, it is the youth who are leading the group and its activities. 

Will and his fellow Council members regularly engage with thousands of Red Cross youth volunteers nationwide. They host social media campaigns, lead initiatives like National Youth Involvement Month in November, encourage and organize volunteer activities for youth, and offer leadership and scholarship opportunities to outstanding volunteers. Currently, the Council is working on educating the public about the misconceptions about the blood donation process. In fact, applications for the Council are opening very soon. You can find out more information about the incredible opportunities for volunteers below.

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“Even now, when we’re all staying at home for COVID-19 social distancing, the Red Cross offers online programs that enable volunteers to help their local communities. There are also many online training courses covering all of the Red Cross lines of service.”  

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To learn more about youth opportunities with the Red Cross, specifically with the National Youth Council, please check out the resources that Will has provided below. Youth is defined as someone aged 13-24. 

• We run an official Red Cross website, redcrossyouth.org with activity guides and other great resources for youth. I especially want to emphasize the volunteering from home guide on our website packed with flexible, virtual Red Cross activities. We'll also be posting information about the blood shortage on our website and official social media pages below. 
• We also run a Facebook group called American Red Cross Youth Network and an Instagram @americanredcrossyouth, where youth can find the latest updates and announcements of our programs and initiatives. We run social media campaigns, scholarships for youth and offer lots of leadership opportunities like our Field Ambassador program. Also, applications for the National Youth Council itself are coming out, and the best way for youth to stay updated is through these platforms! You can also directly check the National Youth Council application page here.

My Red Cross Disaster Volunteer Story: Herb Brennen

Pictured: Herb Brennen (Right) and Don Brauninger (Left)

Written by: Rose Ellen O’Connor, volunteer 

Herb Brennen felt a deep emptiness when his wife Susan died of breast cancer 20 years ago. Then he gave up his job as a budget administrator at Lockheed Martin in an early buyout and he had unexpected time on his hands, which only heightened his loneliness. He was looking for things to do and saw an ad for the Red Cross. 

“It was after she had passed away that I got into the Red Cross,” Herb says. “Her death left a big hole in my life and I was looking for things to fill it.”

Herb was quickly hooked on the Red Cross. In 2002, he deployed to Louisiana for Hurricane Lili, the second most destructive hurricane of that year. Since then, he’s been on a dozen deployments to all sorts of disasters from wildfires and mudslides in California, to tornados in North Carolina and Tennessee, to hurricanes in New York and Florida. His shortest deployment lasted several days; his longest was two and a half months in Houston for Hurricane Katrina. That devastating hurricane struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005, packing winds of up to 175 miles an hour. It killed 1,836 people and resulted in $81 billion in damage. An estimated 1.5 million people were evacuated and tens of thousands fled to shelter in Houston.

Herb’s task on deployment is to arrange short-term financial assistance for disaster victims. Sometimes he’s removed from one-on-one contact. In Houston, he oversaw 400 people inputting data to set up financial assistance for hurricane victims and didn’t interact with them. Other times, he deals directly with the hurricane survivors. He sees a lot of desperation and is rewarded by being able to help.

“When you’re in a situation where people are absolutely needy and you’re able to give them a credit card and they can then use that money to provide for their family, the look on their face tells it all,” Herb says. “Relief. And gratitude.”

Sometimes his volunteer work can be very emotional. Herb recalls a mother he helped in Chattanooga, TN. He was deployed there after heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides. She had an infant, two toddlers, and was fighting drug addiction. She became very emotional as she told her story to Herb and he couldn’t get her to stop crying, so he sent for a mental health expert to help her. After she calmed down, Herb began to tell her that he was arranging a hotel room for her and would give her a credit card so she could buy food for herself and the children and formula for the baby. She was so grateful, she grabbed his arms and thanked him and became very emotional again.

“She started to cry again and I got emotional,” Herb recalls. “And the three of us were sitting there, all of us practically crying.”

Herb says most of the hurricane clients used the financial aid to get out of the shelter. Some used the money to go back to their homes and wait for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give them money to repair their houses, and others, having lost everything, used the money to move on.

In September 2004, Herb deployed to Fort Pierce, FL for Hurricane Frances. He remembers giving assistance to a mother of three small children who needed bus fare to get to family who could give them housing in another part of the state. In August, after Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, killing at least 88 people and doing $125 billion in damage, Herb deployed to Houston. Among those needing financial assistance was a homeless man looking for fare to another part of Texas where a friend was going to give him a job. In each case, the recipient of the assistance was, again, relieved. 

“Total relief,” Herb says. “Because they were broke and they had no way to get out of the shelter and they wanted to leave the shelter and the assistance gave them the means to do it.”

When Herb isn’t taking off for floods or hurricanes or wildfires, he works local disaster relief in Prince William County, VA. He responds to house fires about once or twice a month. Asked what drives him, his answer is simple.

“I think the same thing that drives anyone as a volunteer for Red Cross,” Herb says. “You volunteer because you see there’s a need and there’s something you can do about it. I think every Red Cross volunteer will tell you the same thing.”

Herb lives in Haymarket, VA. He has two children, Adina and Greg, and five grandchildren. Before working for Lockheed Martin, he worked for 27 years as a budget administrator for IBM.

My IN THE BAG Red Cross Story: Alyce Phinney

Written by: Rose Ellen O’Connor, volunteer

On a spring morning two years ago, Alyce Phinney was waiting for the school bus at an Alexandria bus stop when she heard a neighbor’s house had caught fire. After loading her two boys on the bus, she drove to the neighbor’s house to see if she could help and ended up taking the family’s little girl to school. It seemed firetrucks were everywhere at the scene and the family looked distraught. They carried what they could gather from the house in garbage bags.

Alyce was proud, but not surprised, to see the Red Cross there. Every eight minutes the organization responds to a house fire. Red Crossers arranged lodging for the family, calmly told family members what they needed to do, and offered blankets and toiletry bags. Alyce was on her way that morning to a kick-off meeting for the upcoming fall IN THE BAG event, which auctions designer handbags to raise money for the Red Cross. She told committee members how moved she was to see the Red Cross instilling calm where there was palpable panic.

“Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about,” Alyce says. “We want to be proud of our event, we want to auction great looking handbags, but the most important thing is to be reminded why we do this work.”

IN THE BAG was started eight years ago by Red Cross volunteer Brenda Blisk. The committee solicits new or gently used designer handbags, among them Gucci, Kate Spade and Michael Kors. Last November the event auctioned 147 handbags, ranging in price from $200 to $1,350. The auction raised $133,000 in less than three hours.

Alyce, 44, is uniquely qualified to solicit handbags for the event. She has worked for 10 years in the handbag department at Neiman Marcus and has a close relationship with many of the women who buy purses from her. A longtime client, Dr. Marta Wilson, brought her to the event as a guest five years ago, thinking Alyce would have a great network for soliciting bags. She was right. Almost half of the bags sold at last year’s auction – 70 of 147 – came from Alyce’s contacts.

“I’m like a constant cheerleader. I send an email out to my clients. I talk about this event all the time at work,” Alyce says. “You know it’s hard to go to a client and say, ‘Hey, do you have eleven hundred and fifty dollars to contribute to the Red Cross?’ But it’s easy to say, ‘Do you have something in your closet that you’re not enjoying anymore? Do you want to donate it to help save a life?”

Alyce says clients are thankful for the chance to contribute.

“I’m grateful to them for giving,” Alyce says, “but on the flipside, as they are giving me the handbag, they always thank me for being involved in this so they can make this kind of contribution.”

She says she was “blown away” by the professionalism and attention to detail when she first came to the event five years ago. She was introduced to Brenda Blisk and asked if she could help. “I said if you’ll have me, I’ll make the commitment right here and now that I will serve on the committee for next year.”

She now co-chairs a subcommittee of 30 women who oversee handbags for the auction. Each of the women contributes a bag for the event. They also get contributions from companies and sometimes they get help from unexpected places. Two years ago, a woman from New York City found the charity on the internet. They never met her but she contributed a black vintage Hermes bag that sold for $3,000.

Most contributions, however, come through networking. One of Alyce’s clients, Carol Chill, had recently lost her husband and was sorting through her belongings. She found five bags she wanted to donate, including a 15-year-old Gucci brown tote that still had the tickets on it. It went for $1,150. It was on sale for $600 when Carol bought it, but its age made it vintage and thus more valuable.

“It had been sitting in her closet all those years, nobody enjoying it,” Alyce says. “She was tickled.”

Alyce and fellow committee members are now preparing for this year’s auction on November 16. Bags have to be solicited and then cleaned, sorted and tagged for the event. She’s made it a family affair. Her son Tobey, 10, helped clean and tag the bags last year, and her seven-year-old son, Lucas, helped clean. And they’ll be back this year, she says. “It’s a great way to do volunteer work with your children.”

For more information on this year’s auction, visit www.inthebagrc.com.

My Red Cross Story: Mary Nelms

Written by: Rebecca Churchill, volunteer

Mary Nelms was a freshman at the College of William and Mary in 1982, experiencing life away from home to attend college. One night after she and some friends were out late, they woke up to the sound of a fire alarm, and the Resident Advisor (RA) banging on doors, demanding they get up and get out. There was a little smoke and confusion but every student made it outside and stood nearby waiting for the “all clear” that did not come. The dormitory went up in flames as a result of an electrical fire. As the firefighters began to soak the buildings, Mary began to realize that she had nothing, except for what she had on.

“It's amazing that 135 students walked out of that building and were saved, starting with the RA’s to the Fire Department evacuating us. And the Red Cross was there setting up tables in the campus center to provide support and basic necessities,” Mary said. As confused students waited to hear what to do next, Red Cross volunteers assembled at 1 a.m. to bring help and hope. “The Red Cross was there to bridge the gap,” Mary said, “I was a fire refugee. It was a disaster that I never would have anticipated, and we had the support that the Red Cross provided. Thank God.” 

Many years later, Mary still gets choked up when she talks about it. She has since integrated Red Cross preparedness into her and her family’s life. “What if there was no Red Cross? I remember they were there like it was yesterday, giving out clothes, information and food. It’s something that happened 34 years ago, but you never forget it.”

 

Join us to take action and help prevent home fires. 

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Stefanie Kline

Devoted to Helping Others for Life

Written by: Clarice Nassif Ransom, Volunteer

Volunteer: Stefanie Kline, Fairfax, VA

Profession: House Management Assistant/Usher Supervisor for George Mason University Center for the Arts and a Project Assistant for the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative

Length of Volunteer Service: 2 years and going strong

Q: What inspired you to volunteer for the American Red Cross? Why is it important to volunteer?

A: LIFE! When I can contribute in some way to someone else, I feel elated. I cannot think of anything better—that makes me happier—than knowing I have been a force for good, and a comfort for someone in need. My own experience with injury and trauma has made my priorities clear: wanting to lead a good life, help people, and perhaps inspire others to do the same.

I once lived in a remote part of Virginia, and on the way to work one day, I was involved in a severe car accident, to the extent that I was unconscious and have no memory of what happened. According to police investigation, it is thought I swerved to avoid hitting something, lost control of the car, and smashed into a tree; embedding the car into it. Three strangers saved me: a local gym teacher and two neighbors. The gym teacher with his CPR training led the other two in how to keep me breathing until medical professionals arrived, and the fire department cut the top off my car. These heroes stayed with me through the extraction from the car and were responsible for saving my life. Much later, one of the officers told me he never had the chance to meet a survivor from an accident like mine, because people don’t usually survive. I am alive because someone knew what to do, got involved, and stayed by me.

I am getting better at accepting my own physical limitations. I have a titanium rod in my leg, some plates in my face, and deal with varying degrees of pain in my back and hip daily, making disaster responses tough, but I keep going. I feel I am well-equipped to assist people coping with traumatic incidents partially because of my own experience, and I can empathize and support others recovering from disasters.

Q: What are your special skills that you use to support The Red Cross?

A: Community service has been a part of my life since I was little; I was a Girl Scout for twelve years. As a young girl, my Rabbi shared with me the Jewish value that the reward for living a good life is knowing you lived a good life. This has resonated with me since my accident, and I make every effort to live a life that feels rewarding in and of itself, in addition to introducing others to this concept.

I got my Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology and a Master’s Degree specializing in forensic anthropology (identifying human skeletal remains by establishing biological profiles). I want to take part in helping people recover from traumatic experiences, and to work to prevent large-scale atrocities like war crimes and genocide. I got really interested in studying disaster response in college after learning about the impact, loss of life, and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. When I moved back to the East Coast from California, after graduate school, I wanted to find ways to be more involved and help my local community. My mother had worked in Blood Research and Development for the American Red Cross for 36 years, and had recently retired. She was interested in seeing another side of the Red Cross, so we decided to focus on volunteering for disaster services and signed up on the same day!

Q: What is it like volunteering with your mom?

A: We excel in different areas of the disaster response team, which is mutually beneficial. Initially, she was not as eager to get up in the middle of the night to respond to a disaster; while I thrived on it. There was only one house fire that we both responded to, and it was awkward at first because we were the only two there, and I was the lead based on experience and authority to issue financial assistance. However, our common goal was to help those in need, and were were able to use our training and be successful in supporting the victims. Now my mom focuses more on sheltering and mass care, while I am responsible for other components of response and relief.

Q: What do you do as a volunteer? Can you describe what you do?

A: I started off as a Disaster Action Team responder, and I did some community outreach work where I was needed. I also volunteered to be on GO-teams for big events. The GO-teams are the volunteers you see roving around during occasions such as the Marine Corps Marathon or the recent inauguration of the President, and they are there to ensure public safety. I also volunteer to assist with presentations on building preparedness skills in communities, as well as staffing for larger operations. I am a government liaison when the Red Cross needs to help staff a local Emergency Operation Center, and I am the disaster workforce engagement administrative assistant for Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria.

Q: What are some memorable experiences you have about volunteering for ARC? How have you made a difference?

A: One of my strongest memories is from my very first Disaster Action Team call: a hotel fire in Alexandria, Virginia. Part of the hotel collapsed. Fortunately, no one was injured but, in addition to the numerous families who were staying at the hotel, there was a group of about 100 high school ROTC students from New York. The ROTC group ran up and down the hall making sure other hotel patrons got out. They did not all have time to change their clothes or put on shoes. I was part of the initial two-person response team that arrived around 5:00 a.m., and ended up assisting with client casework and providing mass care. We went to the store to make sure the kids had food and clothes, including toiletries and shoes. We also made sure they were fully equipped with water and snacks for their long bus ride back.  That was my "Welcome to the Red Cross" moment. It was a 15-hour response and inspired me to do so much more.

Q: What are you most proud of regarding your volunteer work for ARC?

A: I don’t think of it as being “proud,” but grateful for the amazing people I have met. I am proud to know so many committed volunteers who just want to help others in need. I think probably one of my most powerful contributions I have made to my team is bringing positive energy to meetings and classes. I have been told my enthusiasm can be contagious, and there is nothing I love more than smiling. I am glad I have worked with so many different groups within the Red Cross. I have gained really valuable experiences from each one.

Q: Is there anything I forgot to ask you that you would like to add?

A: Doris Crawford, another Red Cross volunteer, continually motivates me to keep on volunteering. She is our lead disaster responder. She trains responders left and right and goes on just about every single call. Doris is the most inspiring person I have ever met – she is committed to volunteering in any situation, no matter how inconvenient or what time it is. Her commitment and devotion have encouraged me to push myself to do more with the American Red Cross.

Check out more videos of Stefanie Kline on YouTube here and here. 

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Rebecca Callahan

Why I’ll Never Regret Volunteering

Written by: Rebecca Callahan, Volunteer

National Volunteer Week is April 23 through April 29. This week provides us with a special opportunity to recognize volunteers and to promote volunteerism with the Red Cross. The American Red Cross honors its hundreds of thousands of volunteers who help the organization assist people in need. 

I have been an American Red Cross volunteer since the early 2000s. Why? Well, to be honest, I was looking for a mission to care about. Between contracts as a graphic designer and content writer; I was going slightly stir crazy, and it was a slow period in New York at the time. So I briefly thought through areas that I wanted to support, and randomly chose American Red Cross.  

I walked in the door of the Greater New York Chapter, which was at 150 Amsterdam Avenue. I went directly to HR/Volunteer Resources where I met Curt. He looked at my resume, asked me to sit down and called the disaster health and mental health director who invited me to come on board to assist them in reconfiguring and updating their roster and keep better track of their people. 

About two months after I took on that role, the lead, Lauren came by my cubicle and stated, “You know media, right?”  I was deep in writing, so I answered flippantly, “Yes, like you know medicine, and there are so many different kinds of both!” That brought about the response, “Well, either way, you’re coming with me now, let’s go!” So into her vehicle I went and off we drove to Far Rockaway, New York.  

Upon arrival, there were ambulances, multiple FDNY teams and media everywhere. Lauren said; “I don’t handle media, I handle medicine. Our media team was unavailable, so you go handle media.” Trying to wrap my head around the type of handling expected of me, I looked around and saw the FDNY Incident Commander with a white hat and a shirt and tie. I walked over to him to ask for the current status of events and before I could say anything, he handed me a small container of Vicks Vapor Rub, saying; “Here, you need this!” I tried to figure out what was going on for a minute, and then I began to smell it. I have not come up with adequate words to explain what it smelled like. I took the menthol rub and put it around my nose and gradually began to think clearly again. Looking back at the commander, he reported that eight bodies were already discovered and there were several people still unaccounted for at that point. Then he stepped aside and directed me to the cameras and the satellite vans nearby and said, “You’re on.” 

I repeated the talking points nearly 200 times in the course of the following eight hours on the scene and as new data arrived, I continuously updated the journalists who had come from print, cable and broadcast media, providing updated numbers of fatalities, injuries and where families and those affected were being cared for nearby. Time began to blur a bit as the repetition became more and more automated after a time. My husband called around 5:30 wondering what had become of me and I told him I would be a while and that he could go to NY1 to learn why if he wanted.  

At 11:33 p.m. (I remember the time from looking at my phone), I began to look around and the vans were packed and leaving, the media floodlights were gone and the FDNY began the overhaul process to ensure that the fire was completely out. Lauren worked her way back to me at about that point and let me know that everyone was being cared for at this point and the temporary shelter had been staffed and was in full operations at that point, saying, “You did a really good job!”  

I honestly felt like I had snapped back to consciousness and looked at her for a second trying to remember what was going on. I then said, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back”; and proceeded to get sick. When I came back over to her, Lauren asked me if I had ever considered working in public affairs or media relations. I looked at her thinking she was crazy and said, “You did just see me get sick, right?” She replied, “Yes, but I also noticed that you were completely composed until the cameras went away. That is a talent that very few have. You may want to consider doing more in that area."   

Nearly 15 years later now, I have repeated that cycle on over 200 incidents. There have been many successful missions with rescued people and animals. There have also been many with multiple fatalities where I become the spokesperson walking the narrow line as first the protector for the family members, children and others who are not ready to be exposed to the world during the worst day of their lives, and second, the public information provider to the remainder of the community. I deployed to larger incidents during multiple hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, Isaac and Sandy), Nor’easters in Boston and in New Jersey, crashes - from large ones with Sully Sullenberger, to smaller but far more fatal ones with NY Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle - and a bus crash on Interstate 95 in the Bronx that killed 13 people.  

I won’t try to sell you on volunteering for the adrenaline rush or for the adventure, although yes, those are still two plusses

that are still ones I experience. Instead, I want to encourage you and all of my colleagues who, like me, still continue to volunteer on top of a full-time job and family; professional and personal commitments that will always be a factor. Rather, I want you to know why I keep doing it. 

Every time I almost quit and run for the hills saying I don’t have enough to keep giving to this, I end up in a situation where someone’s life is directly affected and they are less damaged and ultimately able to get better. From a two-year-old alive and well after a massive fire, to a recovering addict being treated like a human being long enough to begin to believe he actually is one, to a fireman who rescues a small kitten who is all wet with his whiskers singed but still quite alive, to helping an elderly woman get back into her apartment to get her dentures after the building has a full evacuation, who comes back with the Fireman beaming with a big smile. 

Every one of these literally stocks up my volunteer patience bucket long enough to jump back in and do it again. My husband has been extraordinarily supportive and patient and even stepped up to participate and volunteer as well. He deployed and co-instructs various Red Cross courses with me. He and my dog have even stepped up to assist in some of the more fun aspects of the job. As he supported me, he began to feel the urge to help others as well, so he became EMT certified and has been a first responder on multiple occasions in New York and now here in the DC area for both law enforcement and rescue teams, also while working a full-time job. There are bad days too where no matter what you do it is not enough, and everyone is burning at both ends, but still, Mark Twain probably put it best, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.” For me, it is getting closer to 20 years, and as far as the disasters and the people I was able to help, there are no regrets. So frankly, that is why I keep volunteering.

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Prabhleen Batra, President of the Paint Branch High School Red Cross Club

Written by: Melanie Benson, volunteer

“Seva,” Prabhleen Batra tells me, “means selfless service.”  Prabhleen has practiced Seva, a foundational principle of Sikhism that encourages service without any personal benefit or reward, throughout her life.  She has a long history of volunteerism through community activities with her temple and serving at a local soup kitchen with her mother.  Adhering to this personal passion, it made sense that three years ago as a freshman at Paint Branch High School, MD, Prabhleen immersed herself fully in the school’s Red Cross club.

Today, amid a full schedule of other activities (Model UN, SGA, and honor societies), Prabhleen, now a junior, serves as club president.  What many may not know, however, is that Prabhleen is far more than the club’s leader - she is the reason that the club still exists.  During her sophomore year, Paint Branch’s Red Cross club struggled.  The club lacked direction and faced a bigger challenge when its faculty sponsor stepped down.  Recognizing the value of the club’s work, Prabhleen took action to preserve the Red Cross club.  She found a new sponsor, Ms. Weiss, a Spanish teacher, and rallied to convince her friends to join in club activities.

Today, Prabhleen’s leadership is supported by a vice president, community lead and secretary.  The revamped Red Cross club has 20 regular members who meet twice each month.  The club’s members work together to recommend activities of interest, such as repeated favorites including bake sales, preparing and sharing kit drives and making cards for heroes.  Currently, Paint Branch’s club is working on two larger community events, a blood drive, to be hosted around the beginning of summer, and a Fire Safety Canvassing Day in collaboration with the nearby Burtonsville Fire Department.

Reflecting on the progress the once struggling club has made, Prabhleen points to Ms. Karine Sewell’s visit to the school’s club as an inflection point and an activity that profoundly motivated club members. Ms. Sewell, the Red Cross Executive Director for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, visited the Red Cross members at Paint Branch to share stories of other school clubs and to offer activity ideas and support.  Ms. Sewell’s visit inspired the Paint Branch club with the impact of other clubs in the community and motivated them to add their own positive mark on their neighborhood.

Prabhleen urges other schools in the area to get involved with the Red Cross.  She recognizes that alternatives for community service exist through various honor societies, but highlights that the Red Cross has unique activities that make club diversity valuable.

Next year, Prabhleen will enter her last year at Paint Branch.  While she excitedly explores what will come next, she has already begun to take steps to ensure that the Red Cross club will continue to flourish for other students to enjoy.  Working as a mentor with current freshmen, Prabhleen is certain that the club will continue to do good even after her graduation.  She offers this wisdom to the underclassmen, "If each person does their part and gives a little back to the community, the lives of those less fortunate will be transformed.”

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Pearl Parker

By: Melanie Benson, volunteer

Volunteer: Pearl Parker - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Length of Volunteer Service: ~ 1 Year
Resides: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Pearl Parker was introduced to me as a Red Cross volunteer through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the largest public service-oriented sorority for African American women in the country.  Pearl has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta for 30 years, but it wasn’t until 2015 when her sorority partnered with the Red Cross to help support the Home Fire Campaign in our local Gaithersburg community that she became a Red Cross volunteer. 

We have never met, but just from our time together over the phone, I can tell that Pearl is one of those individuals that everyone wishes they had as a friend.  She is effervescent and her positive energy and obvious kindness serve her well for the role as part of the Disaster Action Team in Montgomery County.  Pearl shares that she was bitten by the “preparedness bug” years ago as a Cubmaster for her son’s Cub Scout pack.  After taking a Montgomery County Emergency Response Team course in 2011, she became interested in learning how to educate members of her neighborhood and workplace in emergency preparedness.  As part of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team, Pearl is a presenter for the Pillowcase Project in local schools, and participates in smoke detector installation campaigns to further the Red Cross mission of fire safety, awareness, and prevention.

Recently, Pearl’s engagement with the Disaster Action Team deepened when she responded to her first home fire call.  As one of a three-member team who answered the call to action that night, she describes it as a humbling experience.  Arriving at the scene of the house fire, the Red Cross workers cared for the affected family by providing warm blankets, assistance with immediate needs, and recovery guidance. Reflecting on witnessing and participating in the relief effort, Pearl remains in awe of the impact the Red Cross team was able to make by being there, and providing a temporary haven for the days ahead. “It was a short drive for me,” she tells me, “but life changing for others.”

Pearl's home fire response call further motivated her to stay involved with the Red Cross.  She knows that the next time the phone rings, she will do what she can to respond.  When asked if she has advice or inspiration to share with volunteers and potential volunteers she replies, “Helping others prepare or overcome a tragic event gives me a true sense of purpose.  In a world where it seems that we have little control, volunteering with the Red Cross helps me feel that I do." Pearl also shares a quote from Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, a fellow Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member, “Service is the rent you pay for room on this earth.” I couldn’t agree more.

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Patty Baisden

Written by: Emily Goff, volunteer

I became involved with the American Red Cross because of a personal experience I had when I was a child. The Red Cross responded to a fire at my home when I was in the 6th grade. Giving to the Red Cross, both my time and treasure, was a natural fit for me. Only after talking to others did I realize the depth and breadth of the services the American Red Cross provides.

Currently, I am the Prince William Council chairperson for the Red Cross and I serve on the Board of Directors for the National Capital Region. I am also a Tiffany Circle member and assist with the Tiffany Circle leadership, helping to welcome and develop new members. My daughter is also a Tiffany Circle member. The Tiffany Circle was formed in 2006 to “unite and engage a group of generous and highly-involved women to continue to ensure that the Red Cross has the ability to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to life's emergencies.” Members from across the country each donate $10,000 or more annually to support the American Red Cross. For more information on the Tiffany Circle, click here.

The American Red Cross is one of those groups that aids virtually every person in the world.  Blood services, first aid/CPR classes, swimming lessons, disaster response, and service to the armed forces help millions of people. Virtually no other charitable cause touches so many people in such a variety of ways. The Red Cross has a massive group of volunteers across the entire United States carrying out 90% of humanitarian work for the organization.

When choosing a place to volunteer, it must be known that the Red Cross truly is about neighbors helping neighbors. For over 150 years the Red Cross has been a backbone of security. We take for granted that the Red Cross will help those in need during an emergency and will be present in our community in the face of hurricanes, floods and more.  However, it takes many volunteers and resources to make it all happen. Life without the Red Cross would not be as safe and secure. Through the years of consistently reaching out to help communities, we are confident in knowing that there is “someone” out there who will help in an emergency.

Ultimately, anyone seeking a wonderful organization to volunteer with should consider the Red Cross! www.redcross.org/volunteer

Volunteer Appreciation: For the Love of Helping to Advance People’s Personal Growth

Written by: Brigitte Yuille, volunteer

Volunteering has been a consistent activity throughout my life. However, I never grasped the true benefit of this action until I was an adult. 

During my childhood, I volunteered as a Girl Scout to earn Brownie points. These points would help me get to the next level in the Girl Scout league. I volunteered at church in Middle School and throughout High School. My actions didn’t resonant with me then because I was too frustrated with getting up early on Sunday mornings. However, as I helped a young child learn to read, I noticed that I liked helping people. Volunteering soon equated to going to a good college. The more experience I had and community-minded I became the more it improved my chances of going to a top-tier school. So, for a while the activities were done for my personal advancement. It was more about me.

A year after my mother passed away, I had gone through a depression. I felt so alone in my grief. After listening to a sermon, I decided to volunteer. The message simply was that depression can be self-consuming, and to stop hurting it's best to help others. So, I began volunteering at a juvenile detention center for young women. I also did activities at community events. That’s when I discovered something amazing: pure joy. The legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey describes joy as having a texture. Well, the more I helped the young women at the detention center by guiding them and just chatting the more joy I felt. It was euphoric. I also developed friendships with other people who volunteered. The benefit was meeting people of good character. I learned to stop focusing on what I don’t have; instead, I focused on what I do have. When I volunteer, I share the valuable lessons my parents have taught me; I share what I have learned from having a comfortable childhood, and I share what I have learned from my struggles to help people get past their own.

Today, I make an effort to volunteer as much as I can. I have even developed events dedicated to advancing conversations that can lead to social change. For example, I produced a panel discussion at the Smithsonian during women’s history month as a Women in Film and Video Board member. The conversation addressed gender equality issues in Hollywood and how to resolve them.

One small act of kindness can alter someone’s life for the better and by helping to improve other people’s lives you ultimately help to relieve people of their pain or struggle.  Another perk: You can be the change that you want to see in the world. 

Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Week!

Become a volunteer: http://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer#step1