My Red Cross Story: Doug VanDyke

Meet Doug VanDyke, American Red Cross
Board Member, Chief Executive Officer of
Enquizit, Lifelong Volunteer, and Blood Donor

Written by: Clarice Nassif Ransom, Communications Volunteer

Doug VanDyke,
American Red Cross Board Member (since 2014)

Profession: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Enquizit, an application development and cloud migration company headquartered in McLean, Virginia; other highlights include Amazon and Microsoft

Home: Ashburn, Virginia

Family: Wife, three children

Role models who inspired VanDyke’s volunteer leadership: LaRhea VanDyke, mother; Linda Mathes, American Red Cross Chief Executive Officer for the National Capital Region; and Teresa Carlson, former boss and former American Red Cross Board chair for the National Capital Region.

Volunteering is a lifelong pursuit for Doug VanDyke. “Growing up, my mother was involved in every local volunteer activity and Board in the community, and she would bring me with her, so I was exposed to volunteering at an early age,” said VanDyke. “I watched my mother volunteer and assumed volunteering is something you do as an adult—you give back to the community.”

Now, VanDyke is continuing his journey of volunteering by sharing his leadership skills as an American Red Cross Board member. VanDyke is proud of how the American Red Cross responds to disasters to help those most in need, including collecting and delivering blood donations; provides food, shelter, and safety after natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires; and proactively installs smoke alarms in homes to help prevent home fires.
__________________________________________________________________________________

“When others are running away from a disaster, 

the American Red Cross is running straight at it - 

and they stay until it is resolved,” 

says VanDyke.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Since 2014, VanDyke has served as the chair for several American Red Cross events, from Salute to Service Gala fundraisers (which honor active duty service members and veterans) to the 2nd Annual Disaster Preparedness Summit in Washington, D.C., which was held on January 28, 2020.

“The Disaster Preparedness Summit addresses the disaster risks we face in the Washington, D.C. area and explores the impacts a significant disaster would have on our region,” said VanDyke.

“Our goals were for attendees to hear from experts who have real-life experience dealing with complex disaster coordination challenges and for attendees to leave with a better understanding of the hazards we face and how to prepare for and respond to disasters in their communities, organizations and households.”

In preparation for the 2nd Annual Disaster Summit, VanDyke had to rally fellow American Red Cross Board members to support it at a meeting last fall.

“It was a meeting with a lively discussion about speakers, topics, format, and location,” said VanDyke, who then agreed to chair the Summit.

“We were in the office of the American Red Cross in Fairfax; a blood donation center had just been added to the 3rd floor of the building. I was in a good mood, so I walked upstairs and the blood donation center staff were able to take me right away. I have O- blood type and am a universal donor. I have been told O- blood can even be used by premature babies. That is inspiring. Also, both my wife and my father have had open-heart surgeries that required donated blood. Someone before me was there to donate for them. I'm glad I can be part of the virtuous cycle and give to someone else who will need it.”

In the Fall of 2019, Doug VanDyke attended a meeting to plan the 2nd Annual Disaster Preparedness Summit in the American Red Cross office in Fairfax, VA; immediately after the meeting, VanDyke donates blood on the 3rd floor in the building's new blood donation center. 

Another American Red Cross leadership effort VanDyke was involved with was in 2018 when he was employed with Amazon Web Services.

“The American Red Cross, Voice Foundry, and our team at Amazon Web Services set up an emergency call center to help those impacted by Hurricane Florence,” said VanDyke.

“We had more than 100 Amazon Web Services’ employees who volunteered to staff the call center. We serviced more than 1,000 calls. Employees volunteered from around the world, even as far away as Singapore, to staff the call center and help those in need. Many of these calls were very emotional, helping reconnect loved ones.”

VanDyke’s leadership experience with the American Red Cross has helped him both personally and professionally.

“Personally, it provides me a channel to give back,” said VanDyke.

“I see direct results, and I can contribute through multiple channels. Professionally, it has helped me build a support network outside my company—people I like and trust.”
__________________________________________________________________________________

"Volunteering is one of the best ways people can feel connected to each
other and to their communities," according to VanDyke.

__________________________________________________________________________________

“There is more to life than making money,” said VanDyke.

“Volunteering is a great way to improve the overall quality of life in our communities. It is personally rewarding, by helping us learn skills and develop friendships. It is also valuable to the community by providing for needs that aren't being covered by government or businesses.”

As Chair of the 2nd Annual Disaster Preparedness Summit, Doug takes preparedness seriously and encourages everyone to have an emergency plan. If you don't have one yet, here's what you can do to prepare yourself and your family for a disaster:

Create Your Emergency Plan in Just 3 Steps

1. With your family or household members, discuss how to prepare and respond to the types of emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, learn, work and play.

2. Identify responsibilities for each member of your household and how you will work together as a team.

3. Practice as many elements of your plan as possible.

For more information about creating a family emergency plan, including templates to help you be organized, go to: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html

Make a difference in your community. Click here to become a Red Cross volunteer.

Click here to learn more about donating blood with the American Red Cross near you.

My Red Cross Story: Kim

By Hailie Duenkel, Volunteer

In 2017, Hurricane Irma swept through the Atlantic – one of the strongest storms in the past century. The catastrophic storm ranked as a category 5 and displaced nearly 40,000 residents in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kim, a 12-year Red Cross veteran, describes this experience volunteering with the Red Cross as one of her most memorable. “It was very heartwarming. Without the Red Cross coming in, I think many of these people would have died.”


When Kim and fellow Red Cross volunteers arrived, the community shelter was in the care of the county. The community volunteers weren’t equipped to adequately take care of the residents. Babies had dirty diapers, people were hungry, and desperate local residents were clearing the shelter of supplies. Kim assisted the Red Cross to serve over 1.6 million meals and 1.8 million relief supplies to those in the community and provided over 555,000 overnight stays in the shelter. However, this type of extraordinary experience is common for Kim, who has held multiple positions including caseworker, shelter volunteer, and shelter supervisor during her tenure at the Red Cross.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Kim drove an ERV from Fairfax, VA to Southeast Texas and delivered food to those evacuated traveling by canoe. In addition, before her children were born, Kim worked on a DAT (Disaster Action Team) in California and Nevada for 9 years and has deployed to every hurricane disaster area since Hurricane Matthew in 2007.

During Hurricane Matthew, Kim had an especially memorable experience serving as a shelter associate. A veteran displaced during the storm was visibly uncomfortable and unwilling to communicate with shelter volunteers regardless of their persistence. Kim discovered that this man had lost his hearing aid during the chaos of evacuation. Rather than bother the shelter volunteers who were assisting those with more dismal needs, the veteran remained silent. Eventually, Kim and the Red Cross shelter volunteers learned of his impairment and were able to get him a new hearing aide. After that, he “was talking up a storm”, and began the recovery process with new enthusiasm.  It’s connections like these that make the work so rewarding.

Kim cherishes how the Red Cross offers a unique volunteer process that brings people from all lifestyles together for the benefit of the community. People are “completely impartial. They drop all political views, affiliations, etc.” shared Kim as she describes what the Red Cross means to her. “We love each other. I have friends I would never have met, or be friends with in real life, and here we are, thanks to the Red Cross. I have grown so much as a person from this organization.”

Kim has two adult children and currently resides in Haymarket, VA with her husband Eric. She works as a substitute teacher, allowing her to continue with her true passion of volunteering with the Red Cross. She urges people looking to volunteer to find out what they like and to try many things. The Red Cross provides numerous volunteer options that can fit what you are looking for. “Once you find that passion, it’s amazing.”

To become a Red Cross volunteer like Kim, visit redcross.org/volunteer.

My Red Cross Story: Eric Coates

By Sandy Habib, Volunteer

Three hundred and fifty-four hours! When you do the math, that translates to almost nine 40-hour work weeks - essentially two months.

This is exactly how much time Eric Coates has volunteered with the American Red Cross between January 2018 and January 2019. This is an extraordinary amount of time by any measure, but it’s even more amazing given that Eric manages to give so much of himself and still work full-time.

Professionally, Eric is a Safety Director, ensuring that structures are architecturally secure for people to occupy. It is through his job that he began his work with the Red Cross. In December 2017, Eric was earning his “CPR Trainer” Certification, which includes CPR, AED and First Aid. The course instructor was from the Red Cross and informed him that the organization could really benefit from volunteers with backgrounds like his - in Safety, Engineering and Construction. Eric quickly got involved and did his orientation course on January 6, 2018.

From there, Eric dove head-first, used all of his vacation time from work and embarked on a fantastic journey of Red Cross volunteer work that has taken him across the National Capital Region and as far as North Carolina. In Fayetteville and Wilmington, North Carolina, he ensured that safety standards at Hurricane Florence relief shelters met local and Red Cross guidelines. In Maryland, he serves as a shelter associate. In D.C. and Maryland, he installs residential fire alarms as part of Sound the Alarm, a Red Cross program that educates families about fire safety and ensures that they have functioning fire alarms in their homes. He also works on the March for our Lives LSAP (Life Safety Asset Protection) Go Team, providing support services as needed.

“There are so many opportunities to do good with the Red Cross. I’m going to keep helping my community as long as I can. It’s extremely rewarding to be able to help so many people in need.”
Eric Coates, Red Cross Volunteer

The volunteer opportunities that Eric helps at most often, though, are house fires in the National Capital Region. Regardless of the hour or the wintery temperatures outside, Eric goes to help local families who are distressed after their homes and possessions have gone up in flames. After spending a few hours (usually in the wee hours of the night) helping to get the family settled, Eric heads back home to shower and goes straight to work. He may need a few more cups of coffee than usual to make it through his workday after assisting at a pre-dawn house fire, but for him, it’s worth it.

Volunteering at these house fires with the Red Cross is especially meaningful to Eric. He appreciates how the Red Cross provides those affected with hotel accommodation, food and a debit card to meet their basic immediate needs. Almost as importantly, though, he finds it very rewarding to be able to offer these distraught families much-needed emotional support. He helps them relax - and sometimes, even smile - which is quite a feat in the face of such loss.

Eric proudly explains, “The part of the Red Cross that I love the most is that we’re not a group that gives a debit card and walks away. We do a lot more to get distressed families through the crisis.”

Even talking to Eric is an inspiration. He speaks about the Red Cross and his volunteer work with such exuberance. He loves meeting so many diverse people, and he thrives on the contributions he is able to make to help others. Even more than the extra cups of coffee, it’s Eric’s passion for helping those in need that keeps him energized to continue volunteering with the Red Cross. 

Want to join us as a volunteer? Visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more about opportunities.

My Red Cross Story: Lily King

By Rose Ellen O'Connor, Volunteer

Lily King needed a social service project (known as a Tzedakah Project) for her Bat Mitzvah. She’d been studying the story of Noah’s Arc and the big flood and that gave her an idea. She would reach out to flood and disaster victims across the country.

She had put together personal-care kits for disaster victims through her Girl Scout troop, but decided to work with the Red Cross this time. Lily, 12, with help from her family, managed to collect donated items to fill 300 “comfort kits,” matching the record for the most collected in a single project.

“It makes me feel wonderful that I can help so many disaster victims and make sure they will have the basic essentials as they are going through a hard time,” Lily says.

Lily started her project at the beginning of 2018 and was finishing up in late September.

“She really wanted to dedicate her time to helping disaster victims since there are so many natural disasters and floods all throughout the U.S., Lily’s mom, Linda, says. “It means a lot to her to be able to work with the Red Cross and help victims.”

Red Cross comfort kits are given out during floods, natural disasters, home fires, you name it. Each kit includes a razor and shaving gel, a toothbrush, travel-size toothpaste, travel-size body wash, travel-size hand lotion, travel/full-size shampoo, travel/full-size deodorant, facial tissues, wash cloths and a small plush toy for a small child or pet.

Lily and her mom, Linda, started out by going to grocery stores to solicit items for the comfort kits, but only a few donated. Lily’s father, Josh, decided to build an Amazon “Wish List” with exactly the items she needed, similar to a bridal or baby shower registry. Like magic, donations quickly poured in through the mail.

“Our friends were so kind and generous to donate to this amazing cause,” Linda says. “We had such an overwhelming response.”

Lily was thrilled.

“I was actually surprised by how much we got because I had heard that 300 comfort kits were the most they’ve ever gotten, so I was really happy when we received so many donations,” Lily says.

The project became a family affair. Her mother, father and brothers Zachary, 10, and Chase, 7, all worked to put the kits together. Even baby brother Brody, 3, chipped in.

“He doesn’t work as fast as us,” Lily says. “He’ll grab something and hand it to us to help us put it in.”

Weekends became a special time when the family worked together on Lily’s project.

“It makes us all feel good,” Lily says. “It was fun to work together as a family to help others.”

Lily and her family live in Rockville, Maryland. In late September, they had just received the last of their donations and were finishing up putting together the kits. Her Bat Mitzvah was this past weekend on Oct. 13 at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville. She’ll turn 13 this month and says she would like to volunteer again for the Red Cross when she’s older.

“It sounds like an awesome thing to do,” she says. “And I’ll get to help so many people.”