Volunteer Spotlight: Disaster Services Technology Lead John Hatch

In observation of National Volunteer Week, we are highlighting some of our extraordinary volunteers who serve our communities every day.

Today, communications volunteer Tim Snedden introduces us to Disaster Services Technology Lead John Hatch.

Picture a blood drive, and the equipment used to make it happen. Phlebotomists move around beds with confidence, carefully handling blood bags and needles. Packages of cookies crackle as they’re set down beside water bottles standing in neat formation. These days, American Red Cross volunteers screen donors with thermometers at the door, and masks make smiling with your eyes a necessity. All of these are crucial pieces of gear for any blood drive, but something’s missing from the list.

Any guesses?

How about computers? From completing your RapidPass on a tablet, to staff recording your questionnaire answers on a laptop, digital technology is critical for facilitating the mission of the Red Cross. Today we’re introducing you to John Hatch, Disaster Services Technology Lead. He’s the man behind the curtain, so to speak, managing the technological foundation of Western New York’s Red Cross activities.

John Hatch

Before joining the Red Cross, John worked for New York’s canal system. After retiring, he sought to give back to his community and began volunteering with his local Disaster Action Team (DAT). Suffice to say, he quickly became hooked, and entered into a Disaster Services Technology role soon after.

This new role came with a set of challenges that John met head-on. Maintaining existing equipment remains a constant necessity. At the same time, modernizing the Red Cross by replacing obsolete equipment is always important, although budget restrictions create a delicate balance that’s surely familiar to any IT professional.

It’s not all about the technology, either. John works with a batch of volunteers who help him with a variety of ongoing projects including a new phone system and device refreshes. “It’s important to keep volunteers involved by giving them meaningful tasks,” he says. It’s easy to tell that he’s very fond of his team.

Much like how a computer is an assembly of unique and important parts, John is proud of the collaborative efforts he’s been involved in with the Red Cross. In Buffalo this past January, a variety of volunteers came together for a joint blood drive and telethon. While part of the group hit the phones in one room, donors gave blood in the other. Communications volunteers wrangled a TV news spot and monetary donations and blood donation appointments flowed in. By all accounts it was a great collaborative success, facilitated by the technology that John and his team managed.

John’s focus has shifted since the COVID-19 outbreak, which has created an increased need for technology. In-person meetings are not recommended while we practice physical distancing, but face-to-face communication remains important. The solution? Ensuring DAT team members have the phones they need to video chat with their clients, ensuring vital support without physical contact. It can be hard to adjust, but given the right tools, volunteers are adapting to the new situation. If anything, the increased need for technology has helped to illustrate how important it is to almost every organization.

Unfortunately, the outbreak has kept John from his annual trip to the white sands of Myrtle

Beach. He shrugs it off, though: “It’s only delayed,” he told me, “and there’s always next year.”

Interested in helping the American Red Cross? Learn more about becoming a volunteer here or contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information.