American Red Cross Celebrates Volunteerism

American Red Cross
Friday, 19 April 2002

Red Cross Volunteers Celebrate the American Spirit During National Volunteer Week and All Through the Year

American Red Cross volunteers work tirelessly to provide comfort, care and a host of lifesaving services to their fellow Americans. Red Cross volunteers show up on a regular schedule to drive others to medical appointments, teach strangers how to save a life, assist military families desperate to get word of an emergency to a loved one far away and much, much more.

"Volunteers are the very foundation of the American Red Cross," said Gregory L. Smith, vice president, Volunteers, Youth and Nursing. "The more than a million Red Cross volunteers nationwide help provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. One in every 56 Americans is a Red Cross volunteer or volunteer blood donor," said Smith.

Red Cross volunteers range from the very young to the elderly. School children across the country are currently collecting school supplies that the Red Cross is delivering to school children in Afghanistan, and many Red Cross chapters across the nation have elderly volunteers who answer phones or help with community events.

Here's a snapshot of what some Red Cross volunteers are doing across the country:

Friendly Visitors Help Seniors Connect

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Tatyana Nguyen, who speaks Vietnamese, is a volunteer with the Alexandria Red Cross Friendly Visitors Program. Nguyen visits Ngan, a sight-impaired senior from Vietnam living in the city of Alexandria. Ngan speaks no English and none of the staff at her nursing facility speak Vietnamese. Nguyen visits her weekly and provides her with the companionship she desperately needs. "Just to speak her own language and be heard is a release for her," Nguyen said. "I ask her about herself and her culture." The seniors are not the only ones benefiting from the program. Many volunteers feel their lives have been enriched from the experience. Nguyen expressed a sense of accomplishment from working with Ngan. "Most of the people have no one who visits them," she said. "I work full time, but I wanted to help people who can't have any help from others. It makes me feel fulfilled; nothing can buy that."

Young Girl Speaks Up about Blood Donations

When Malorie Letcavage was three years old, she developed a life-threatening infection from drinking spoiled apple cider. Blood transfusions helped her fight the infection and restore her kidney function, which had been compromised as a result of the infection. Today, as a healthy nine-year-old, Malorie speaks at high schools and pharmaceutical companies around the country promoting the importance of blood donation. "My motto is, 'The more you give, the more people will live,'" she said.

Volunteer Finds Rewards Through Helping Survivors in Need

NEW YORK CITY -- "I'm not happy unless I'm helping people," Ruth Christy, a Family Services Supervisor confesses, looking up from a folder she is reviewing. "I lost my husband last year and I think that gives me a special edge in understanding the losses people here are feeling." As a retired helicopter paramedic, Ruth is used to helping people in chaotic situations. She is alert to every situation and circulates among the caseworkers and families at the Family Assistance Center in New York, offering a suggestion here or a kind word there. Her goal is to see that families who lost loved ones receive all the help possible. The highlight of Ruth's work at Pier 94 Family Assistance Center was when she presented urns and American flags to families of victims at the October 28th Memorial Service. "It was the toughest day of this experience," she says, "but also the most rewarding. The families were so touched and they were finally getting closure. We were all crying together." The seasoned volunteer recalled, "One little girl told me she wished I were her grandmother. There's no money in the world that can buy that kind of reward."

The American Red Cross is dedicated to saving lives, easing suffering and restoring hope at home and around the world. Currently operating on a budget of $3 billion, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 67,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. In 2000, the Red Cross also trained almost 12 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provided direct health services to nearly 2.6 million people and delivered more than 21 million locally relevant community services. The organization also assisted international disaster and conflict victims in close to 40 locations around the globe and its emergency communication centers processed 1.2 million calls in support of U.S. military families.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org