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.

My Internship with the Red Cross: Part 1

Written by: Morgan Levin, Intern

The idea of helping other people has always been appealing to me. I consider that when you are lucky enough to be born in a safe place, with a good education and a stable situation, it is natural to go out and help those who have been less fortunate. I come from the South-East of France, in a small village near Montpellier, a very dynamic and young city off the Mediterranean coast. I grew up there, and started studying geopolitics this year, which made me realize even more so how much some parts of the world are in great need of help, and seem at first glance totally forsaken. When taking a closer look, I noticed that non-profits are the ones that provide help and assistance to communities around the world without discrimination, regardless of their gender, social status, race or religion. And that is what made me want to join a non-profit for an internship, to discover from the inside how these organizations work and get a better understanding of their impact on our societies.

Why pick the Red Cross to intern with?

The Red Cross combines not only a strong international presence, which is what attracted me to the organization in the first place, but also a presence in every day life to provide the best assistance possible to the local community. I remember that there has always been a Red Cross Team at our student events in France! And that, in my eyes, made a difference that made me want to join them.

Additionally, joining the Red Cross abroad guarantees me the opportunity to discover the American culture and therefore the differences in terms of focus and methods of the American Red Cross compared to the French Red Cross.

During my internship, I hope I will be able to understand and get as much information as I can on the different service areas and the way the Red Cross works here in the United States, and that I will be involved as much as possible in making a difference for the Red Cross.