The Woman Behind The Letters: Volunteer Spotlight

How many times have you received a generic letter in the mail or over email asking for a donation? Likely more than you care to count as we live in a world of generic mass communication. But, if you have donated to the Western New York Chapter of the Red Cross, you might have a different story. You probably received a hand written thank you note from Joan.  

Joan believes in the value of handwritten letters, and the importance of the personal touch that they provide. She is a fundraising volunteer, and she sends every donor in WNY a unique thank you.  

But who is the woman behind the letters, and why does she do this? 

Joan’s story at the Red Cross began in 2016, when she and her husband retired and decided to volunteer with the disaster team in Buffalo. After a little while, Joan decided to volunteer in the philanthropy department and help with stewardship.  As a stewardship volunteer, she writes thank you notes and works on special events, such as the Real Heroes Breakfast, an event which honors individuals whose acts of “service and bravery have helped save lives in our community.”  

Joan is also no stranger to work outside of her desk. She recalls an instance, about a year ago, when there was a community near Batavia that lost power for days. Joan went with a team of volunteers and set up a shelter for those in the area to come and get food or stay warm during the outage. She shares, “You didn’t know who was going to come in at any time, you just offer them the basics, until they can get back set up. The community service is great.”  

Auction baskets for 2018 BASH

Joan cites her service experiences as one of the most rewarding parts of her work, as well as the people she works with. She says, “They’re great. We come in here, and we know what we have to do, and we do it.” She shares experiences of how the people she works with made ordinarily mundane, but necessary, tasks such as wrapping 150 baskets for the BASH, fun.  

Her passion for the heartfelt thank you, and for her work in the community, are all a part of what makes the Red Cross special. She may not be going out into disasters or aiding those in a house fire, but her work is meaningful. She expresses gratitude to the donors and the community in a personal way; one that allows us to show how thankful we truly are.  

If you would like to become a volunteer like Joan and work in philanthropy email malisa.kurtz@redcross.org. 

-Story and photo by: Megan Rooney, Development Intern