"We've been together ever since": Red Crossers find love & laughter at local blood drive

When Tony Addotta first signed on to volunteer with the American Red Cross of Western New York, the retired truck driver was looking for something new to utilize his talents. Little did he know that his new volunteer role with the Red Cross would also lead him to the love of his life.

“It was my first volunteer position. Channel 17 had a volunteer fair. I went downtown and there were a lot of different tables. The Red Cross had a sign in table, and I guess five people signed up and I was the only one who showed up the next Monday. Shawn O’Hargan [Regional Market Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services] had her pastries and stuff like that, so I started driving with blood services and you know, it was nice. I was retired, so I was just playing golf and taking naps.”

Seated next to him on a sunny afternoon, Nancy Despard laughed. “Oh, he’s good at naps!”

That was nearly 17 years ago. Roughly one year after Tony signed on as a volunteer, Nancy found herself in a similar position.

“I actually saw it in the paper to volunteer,” she explains. “My parents were actually blood donor ambassadors here and then they moved to Myrtle Beach and did it down there, too. I thought, ‘Oh Mom and Dad did this, so I can do it, too.’  Then we met at a blood drive.”

“Oh, did we?” Tony laughs.

“You came in – he was a usurper. He came in and was supposed to be getting people to sign up to donate double reds and I’m like, why is this guy from Buffalo honing in on our drive? So, he didn’t talk much to me,” Nancy recalls.

With a sly smile, Tony is quick to explain, “I was out in the hallway, recruiting double reds – that was my job!”

Although it would be months before the pair would ultimately meet again, Nancy shares that she knew early on there were sparks.

“I love joking around and stuff and I thought, why couldn’t I have met him before?”

Their shared love of helping others would bring them together again when Tony, ever the gentleman, volunteered to drive a group of Red Crossers from Buffalo to the Greater Rochester chapter to tour the West Henrietta Blood, Platelet and Plasma Donation and Processing Center

“Well, Tony drove the van. And he makes anybody in the backseat wear a seatbelt.”

Tony interrupts with a big laugh, “Well, yeah! Wherever they’re sitting!”

“So, he climbs over the backseat, because I’m behind the driver’s side, to hook up my seatbelt for me.””

“You looked like you needed help!”

“So, we went down to West Henrietta and had lunch, and the group stopped at a rest stop and when I came out of the restroom, and he was waiting out there for me. So, he’s walking me out and he said, that he was membership chairman for the American Legion post and hands me his card for that and says, ‘Here, give me a call.’ Now, I’m like, not young – I don’t if know he’s hitting on me. I call my sister, and asked her, do you think he needs a volunteer there or something? That’s the only thing I could think of that he would need me to call him. Finally, after a few days, I call him and we’re talking and that and I realize, I guess he doesn’t want a volunteer! That was October 2010. We’ve been together ever since.”

In that time, the pair have continued to volunteer with the Red Cross. Nancy now works to schedule volunteers for blood drives across four counties within the Buffalo area. Tony serves as a transportation specialist for biomedical services in the Buffalo district and was one of several volunteers who drove through an historic and deadly blizzard to ensure that blood products were delivered to area hospitals in December, 2022.

“We were just driving,” he explains. “That was [Transportation Specialist] Rachel Elzufon Couch’s leadership. We may have won an award, but it was her leadership that made it happen. We were just doing our job.”

“The first time I was ever driving with him, I looked at all the blood in the back and I realize, we’re saving people’s lives by doing this,” Nancy remarks. “It was really – it really meant something to me that what we’re doing is really saving people’s lives.”

While his fellow volunteers received the Blood Services Hero award at the 2023 Western New York Real Heroes luncheon, Tony accepted the award while awaiting open heart surgery at a local hospital with Nancy at his side. Just a few days prior to the event, doctors discovered a large aneurysm in his aortic valve.

“I was a walk-in. They couldn’t believe I was a walk-in,” he explains. “I only went to the hospital because I couldn’t sleep for two days.”

Nancy immediately takes on a more serious tone: “He is a miracle walking. The doctor said they’d never seen one that big before ever. It could have broken like that.”

But their playful banter quickly returns.

“Well then It’s a good thing you don’t hit me!”

The couple shares that Tony’s surgery and recovery helped put things into perspective, both in their personal lives and their roles at the Red Cross.

“I’m on a crusade,” Tony says. “I stood up one day and said to the other drivers that I know that sometimes you think this might be nothing, but all you guys helped me to survive because the blood had to be there, and it all takes all the people. People can take it for granted and I thanked them all, because as you know, it’s the blood donated today that helps tomorrow. I’m one of those people that you’re donating for. It takes a village.”

That’s the message the couple shares with fellow and prospective volunteers – and even blood donors alike.

“Sometimes at the end of my drives, I will stop into a blood drive and tell a blood donor, ‘I just drove hundreds of miles to say thank you!’ And then it gets everybody laughing. It’s very rewarding. It becomes a place where you go in now and you get to see your friends. I still have my naps!”

Nancy agrees, “I tell volunteers, this is the easiest way that you can save somebody’s life.”

As for their secret to making it work as a couple, Tony says it’s simple:

“You have to have a sense of humor. It keeps things in perspective, I think. She has a good soul and a soft heart.”

Meg Rossman, Regional Communications Manager, American Red Cross of Western New York

Giving the gift of time this holiday season

The holidays are a time for loved ones to gather, to share food and stories that inspire the holiday spirit; unfortunately, some find themselves faced with tragedy.  Thankfully the American Red Cross (ARC) and its surplus of volunteers are always there to lend a helping hand. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home fires, followed by Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving then Christmas Eve.  Cooking equipment and decorations are involved in roughly 20% of these fires.  The ARC is no stranger to providing immediate relief for families displaced by misfortune.  I had the pleasure of speaking with Chuck Haupt, a retired photojournalist, and an American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team (DAT) volunteer. 

Mr. Haupt remembers one specific fire, that happened in Binghamton, NY the day after Christmas. “It was a five-family apartment building, all of the families were displaced, I had to help”.  Once volunteers like Chuck arrive on a scene, they locate a warm, dry place to get the families inside out of the weather. On this particular day the local Loyal Order of the Moose opened its doors and welcomed the families in, while Chuck and the other volunteers were interviewing the families and tending to their immediate needs.   No sooner did Chuck get his interviews underway, he realized that one of the families did not speak English, “they were very skittish to meet with anyone”, he recalls.  They couldn’t understand that we were there to help, they considered that we might be there to deport them as some suspected they were not in the country legally.  They were assured that the Red Cross’s intent was simply to help! 

The Red Cross provides immediate aid to individuals during a disaster which can include funds for temporary housing, food, and clothing.  Comfort kits are also in huge demand.  These kits contain personal care items like toothpaste, a washcloth, and a comb.  Mental health referrals are also given on an as needed basis along with a directory on how to replace their driver’s license, insurance cards and the likes.

Mr. Haupt, why do you volunteer on holidays when you can be home, with your own family?  “It is simple, someone is hurting out there.  We are volunteers, this is what we signed up for, to get that call for help, whether it is a holiday or any other day that ends in a “y”, they need help”.  

“For me to take three hours away from my family on a holiday to help someone is the right thing to do, I can return to my home and be with my family, they have no home to return to”.  “It reassures us what the holidays are all about – and it’s not about the material things” Chuck stated.  He encourages people to help others this holiday season by donating or volunteering.  

For some people volunteering is about giving but for the likes of you, it is a way of living. Thank you, Mr. Haupt, for all you do!

To learn more about volunteering with the American Red Cross or to donate, visit RedCross.org.

Story by Holly Gassler, American Red Cross of Western New York communications volunteer

Red Cross, NFL partnering during National Blood Donor Month

Cathy Plewinski donates convalescent plasma at the Red Cross Cheektowaga blood donation center

The American Red Cross and the NFL are partnering this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals – especially those who have recovered from COVID-19 – to give blood and to help tackle the national convalescent plasma shortage.

The Red Cross has teamed up with the NFL to offer those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma, Jan. 1-31, 2021, a chance to win a getaway to the 2022 Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. As an extra thank-you from the Red Cross, those who come to give Jan. 1-20, 2021, will also be automatically entered to win a Big Game at Home package, which includes a 65-inch television and $500 gift card toward food and fun so their household can enjoy an awesome viewing experience safely at home. Terms apply; visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for more information.  

Cathy Plewinski of Buffalo is one of the tens of thousands who rolled up a sleeve in 2020 to donate their antibody-rich plasma to help those most critically ill with COVID-19.  “I’ve seen it first hand as a nurse – people getting better from receiving this plasma," she said. "I believe strongly if you’ve had COVID-19 and survived it, you should help anyone else who is in that same predicament.”

  

Two ways COVID-19 survivors can help   

Health emergencies don’t pause for holidays, game days or a pandemic – blood is needed every two seconds in the U.S. to help patients battling injury and illness. As COVID-19 cases have risen across the U.S., so has the need for convalescent plasma – leading to a shortage of this potentially lifesaving blood product.   

  

There are two ways those who have recovered from COVID-19 can make a big difference:  

 

• A convalescent plasma donation: The Red Cross is collecting convalescent plasma at over 170 locations throughout the country. If you’ve recovered from COVID-19, you may be eligible to donate your plasma to help others going through COVID-19 treatment. Fill out the eligibility form to start the process.  

 

• A whole blood donation: Plasma from whole blood donations that test positive for COVID-19 antibodies may be used to help COVID-19 patients. Make an appointment to give blood by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).    

  

Kick off the year by making a lifesaving donation this National Blood Donor Month.   

A Year of Remarkable Challenges

By every measure the year 2020 has been one that won’t soon be forgotten. From a total of seven named hurricanes, five named tropical storms, wildfires that burned over 9.5 million acres and the greatest loss of life caused by tornadoes since 2011, nature’s wrath was felt far and wide. Overshadowing the already very difficult conditions caused by these natural disasters has been a global pandemic, the likes of which hadn’t been seen for generations.    

Nevertheless, despite such serious challenges, the American Red Cross is there to meet the needs and adapt in ways that allow for successfully providing critical basic services to thousands of people affected by such dramatic and stressful conditions. This accomplishment was only made possible by dedicated Red Cross volunteers like the Southern Tier Chapter's Don Lamanna.

A native of the Mohawk Valley, Don is no stranger to working in difficult situations to help others.    Now retired from a 30-year career with the Oneonta Fire Department and service as an emergency medical technician, as well as a motor coach driver, Don notes he wasn’t content with “just sitting around and watching television” news stories about disasters in which he might help out.  So when news of August 2018 flash flooding in the Finger Lakes region came across the screen, he was quick to make his first Red Cross deployment relatively close to home.   Since then Don’s passion for serving others in their time of need has led to his creating a log book so that the number of Red Cross deployments in which his has taken part won’t be forgotten.   In 2020 alone Don’s log gained four new entries which now brings the total number of times he’s deployed since 2018 to 11.   Deployments in 2020 sent him to the Philadelphia area following Tropical Storm Isaias, Baton Rouge and New Orleans in support of hurricane recovery operations, and twice to Oregon wildfires.   

To his further credit, Don performs more than one role with the Red Cross and reports that when he arrives at a deployment the first thing he does is ask what needs to be done that he can help with. Such duties have included damage assessment to determine areas where localized Red Cross assistance is needed as well as serving as a mass care supervisor. During this year’s deployment to Louisiana Don helped supervise the care of 380 displaced people who were provided with accommodations in commercial lodging to avoid the potential spread of COVID-19 in the close quarters of congregate sheltering.   Other adaptive measures were Red Cross services like health counseling that were provided by volunteers remotely by computers. While Don is not shy about acknowledging that his experience and interests don’t include computer skills,  he was equally ready to point out that other volunteers with such skills were close at hand to take care of that part of what was needed. By and large Don was very pleased to observe that, during his deployments this year, the public in general followed Center for Disease Control COVID-19 guidance in a manner akin to that practiced by the Red Cross.

Teamwork and support outside the deployment is also something Don is aware of and keenly appreciates.   When at his home in Oneonta he volunteers several days a week at a busy local food pantry. In his absences that has also included mandatory self-quarantines upon returning home from deployments, other volunteers, among whom his wife, Sallyann, is one, step up to carry out the work he would normally be performing.

Then too, adding even more to the year’s remarkable achievements is the fact that while all of these Red Cross responses to natural disasters were taking place, irreplaceable, ongoing routine services like community blood drives and Disaster Assistance Teams that respond 24/7 to emergencies such as residential home fires likewise continued.   

Whether contributing financially, donating blood, or through volunteer service like Don Lamanna’s, there are a wide range of opportunities for others who would like to be part of the gratifying and crucial work the American Red Cross has provided for almost 140 years.  Learn more by visiting redcross.org.

Story by Robert Eurich, American Red Cross

Service runs deep for American Red Cross volunteer

 “Keeping busy by being useful” is a key reason why retired career U.S. Army officer, Bruce Ressner, says he has become an American Red Cross volunteer. In so doing he has joined hundreds of volunteers in the Western New York Region. 

Nationally, volunteers make up 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce who attend to a wide variety of tasks such as running blood drives and teaching classes to providing for emergency needs of those affected by major disasters.  Red Cross volunteers like Bruce come from all sorts of backgrounds and communities but they also share many things in common.  Among those common traits is a desire to help and be of service to others.  Based in the Southern Tier, Bruce knows a few things about service and brings with him a wealth of experience to the roles he plays.

A West Point Military Academy graduate, dad, grandfather, and husband of 28 years to his wife Mary,  “Rezz,” as he likes to be called, only became a Red Cross volunteer in 2019 but quickly stepped up to apply his skills and interests to areas of need. One of the tasks he takes care of is overseeing a centrally located Red Cross warehouse containing everything from cots, blankets, personal comfort kits and shovels to power generators and lights.  

Not surprisingly, Bruce also participates in Service to the Armed Forces, logging between 80 to 120 follow-up calls a month helping to ensure military personnel and their families are aware of counseling and support that’s available to them.

Although health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on  the Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” initiative, Rezz has likewise taken part in the project that installs free smoke alarms in homes and offers fire safety information to families.   When not dedicating his time to the Red Cross, Bruce also serves as a driver for Meals on Wheels as well as filling in where needed at the Binghamton German Club.

Adding to his impressive dedication to service, Rezz went on his first Red Cross deployment this year in support of services being provided to Texas and Louisiana following Hurricane Laura.   Deploying again is something he says ranks high on his list of goals.

While not everyone can engage in as robust a manner as Bruce has, whether contributing financially, donating blood or through volunteer service, there are a wide range of opportunities for others who would like to be part of the impactful, ongoing work the American Red Cross has provided since its founding in 1881.  Learn more by visiting redcross.org/volunteertoday

Story by Robert Eurich, American Red Cross

Red Cross team member shares ‘full circle’ experiences that inspire her to give back

Sarah Judkins says she didn’t fully appreciate the constant need for blood donors – even when she began working for the American Red Cross.

It wasn’t until a year later when she was called away from work at a blood drive due to a family emergency. She learned that her brother was experiencing complications from a planned surgical procedure, and upon arriving at the hospital still wearing her scrubs from the blood drive, the first thing she saw hanging over his bed was a unit of donated blood.

It was at that moment Sarah made a deep-rooted connection. “This is what I do every day, and now it has touched my family personally,” she recalled thinking at the time. She says her brother would’ve lost his life that day had he not received multiple blood transfusions made possible by volunteer blood donors.

Sarah experienced additional “full circle” moments years later when her mother, Jane, who suffered from a degenerative bone disease, went to the hospital for a seventh hip surgery and needed platelets in order to move forward with the procedure. Eight months later, Jane again received donor blood in the form of plasma, platelets and red cells when she underwent open heart surgery.

A regular donor herself, Sarah currently gives platelets and plasma and has rolled up her sleeves 14 times already this year alone in order to make a difference for others facing the unexpected.

This summer, Sarah honored the anniversary of her mother’s passing by donating blood, accompanied by an unusual guest, “Phyllis the Flamingo” (pictured). Phyllis was a gift from Sarah’s mother – renowned for practical jokes – and ended up being the last gift her mother ever gave her. Around the time Sarah received Phyllis, her mother was unable to join the family on a summer vacation, so Phyllis came along for the journey instead.  Sarah documented it all in a special photo album that was gifted back to Jane to help lift her spirits on the morning of her cardiac surgery.

Today, Sarah says she looks at Phyllis and smiles not only remembering her mother, but also celebrating the precious gift of time that blood donors gave her family for the eight months between her mother’s surgeries.

She finds meaning working with Red Cross collections team because it places her close to the organization’s mission and allows her to help ensure donors have a great experience and return for future donations. During this uncertain time, the Red Cross needs healthy, eligible individuals to give blood or platelets for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected, now and in the weeks and months to come. 

Appointments can be scheduled through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS.

"Not every family is touched by the need for blood and my family was impacted by blood donors more than once,” Sarah remarked. “Next time it may be someone else’s family who has that critical need and I want to be sure I am doing my part to be there for them.”

Story by: Katie Potter, American Red Cross 

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.

Providing Customer Service as a Blood Services Volunteer

“I bring to my job, whatever I do, the customer service I learned at Wegmans,” says Red Cross volunteer, Sue Kirkland. “Treat customers the way I would hope they would treat me.”

Sue Kirkland and her canine companion Susie

After retiring from Wegmans in 2018, Kirkland immediately restarted an old habit that dated back to her high school days: donating blood every two months. While donating on February 6, she mentioned to one of the Red Cross team members that she’d be interested in becoming a volunteer as well.

“I came on board just in time for COVID!”, Kirkland said. She was scheduled to work in her initial role as a Blood Donor Ambassador at Kenmore West High School in Western New York the first day the Red Cross began requiring health screenings for staff and donors prior to entering a blood drive to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. She stepped in as Blood Drive Screener that day, asking health questions, taking temperatures and providing hand sanitizer for everyone as they entered the drive.

“Baptism by fire,” Kirkland says. “I just did it, then it became the norm.” Of course, there is very little normal about these uncertain times, and additional precautions have since been added to ensure the safety of everyone entering any Red Cross facility or community blood drive, including wearing face masks. Kirkland says everyone has been grateful for the safety measures the Red Cross has implemented, including herself.

“At one of the first drives, someone pointed out that I’m in a higher risk group being over 60, and asked if I felt comfortable,” she says. “I feel confident in what I’ve been doing to keep myself safe so that I can keep others safe.”

Kirkland also says she’s comfortable in knowing that the Red Cross staff, especially her supervisor, Aaron Wilson, will be there to support her if she ever does have a question or concern. She says the staff and her fellow volunteers have been phenomenal during this outbreak, and on the rare times during her 1-2 volunteer shifts a week when a team member or donor is having a bad day, her customer service background kicks in.

“We’re all feeling a little lost, isolated,” Kirkland says. “I keep in mind that people are coming out trying to help, so I’ll bend over backwards and try to meet them where they are.”

If you’re looking for a way to help, and get out of the house during this coronavirus outbreak, consider joining Sue Kirkland as a Blood Drive or Facilities Screener, asking health questions and taking temperatures with an infrared thermometer as people enter Red Cross facilities or blood drives. There are shifts available across the Western New York region, click this link for more information. And thanks to the efforts of volunteers like Sue, you can also safely make a donation appointment for the weeks ahead to ensure a stable blood supply throughout this pandemic at redcrossblood.org

Story by: Jay Bonafede, Chief Communications Officer

American Red Cross, Western New York Region

Virtual Workshops to Help Military and Veteran Communities Cope During COVID-19

The American Red Cross is launching a new virtual workshop for active military members, Guard, Reservists, veterans, and their families that addresses unique stressors felt by this community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is the first time the Red Cross will be utilizing a virtual platform for a Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) workshop. Michael Willis, a licensed mental health professional, is one of the facilitators for the virtual workshop. Dr. Willis notes sources of stress can vary from individual to individual, as well as the ways in which we each cope with stress.  He points out that, in addition to the uncertainty, stress and isolation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of loss, and with that, a lot of grief. Dr. Willis notes the loss isn't just about the death of a loved one but can also include the loss of a job and connections to family, friends and co-workers, and it is important to know how to cope with the grief that accompanies it.  For military personnel and their families, these losses are compounded by additional stressors such as delayed reunions or altered deployment schedules.  In addition, veterans may have difficulty accessing community resources that provide medical and behavioral health services, training or social support, which can affect mental health during this time of sheltering-in-place.

Although the in-person and virtual workshops encourage attendee participation through discussion and sharing, such participation is voluntary.  People can also attend and only listen. All content shared by participants in the workshop is kept confidential. The 60-90-minute virtual workshop will cover topics such as the signs and symptoms of stress, effective communication to decrease stress, relaxation exercises, recommendations for better sleep, stress reduction techniques and establishing a relationship between what you think and how you feel. 

Dr. Michael Willis  

The SAF workshop facilitators, like Dr. Willis, are all licensed mental health professionals, and deeply committed to helping the Service members, veterans and their families.  Dr. Willis has been a SAF volunteer since 2014 and has led over 40 reconnection workshops of which 14 workshops focused specifically on stress management for the American Red Cross SAF division.    He also represented the Red Cross on an Honor Flight to Washington DC to provide mental health support to the participating veterans. When presenting the workshops, his favorite part is interacting with participants during the activity portions, and Dr. Willis believes the most beneficial aspect of the program is the "toolbox" of stress management techniques the participants take with them.

To learn more about the workshop, or to register, contact your local American Red Cross chapter, or contact them by visiting redcross.org and entering your zip code.

Story by: Karin Schneider, Communications Volunteer

American Red Cross, Western New York Region

National Volunteer Week: Disaster Action Team Volunteer Anna Underhill

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

Today, communications volunteer Karin Schneider introduces us to Disaster Action Team member Anna Underhill. 

Anna Underhill

Anna Underhill, a woman in her 20s, found her way to the Disaster Action Team (DAT) during a blood platelet donation.  While at the donation center, she saw a local news story about a DAT response to a home fire. Anna felt drawn to the services DAT teams provide to people who are impacted by home fires - funds for immediate need items, lodging, and most importantly, emotional support, so she contacted her local Red Cross chapter in Ontario County to sign-up. 

Initially, she felt intimidated by the amount of training being a DAT member requires. However, since most of it was online, she was able to work on it around her schedule.  Once her formal training was complete, she went on responses as a trainee, being guided by her mentor, until she graduated to member status.   About 15 people are on DAT teams in Ontario, and if they are called to five fires during a month, it is a busy one, but DAT also helps the community in other ways.  For example, Anna and other DAT members install smoke alarms in homes and man a table at the local farmer's market once a month to provide information about disaster preparedness.

What makes Anna rare as a DAT member is her age.  Most DAT members are decades older than her, and I was curious about Anna's thoughts as to why more young people don't join DAT.  She said her peers do want to volunteer, but usually for one-time events.  She thinks the idea of a long-term volunteer commitment scares off some, and others are intimidated by the idea of helping others during a crisis.  I then asked how Anna made it work for her.  She said although her initial thought of helping people in crisis was a daunting one, the training and mentoring she received made her feel very prepared for the role.  Although the training is extensive, it is absolutely possible to do it around one's schedule.  House fires are unpredictable, of course, so she cannot schedule around those, but options are to respond when available, or pick a shift to be on call when she can make responses a priority (i.e. an overnight shift since she works during the day).

Regardless of age, the DAT members are a very committed group of volunteers, and the residents they serve during time of need can attest to the invaluable help that is provided both during and after a crisis. Yet, since home fires and other emergencies can happen to anyone, regardless to age, race and economic status, it can only make DAT stronger when the members are as diverse as the communities they serve.  In addition, having members at different stages of life provides reinforcement. For example, retirees can cover day responses younger working people cannot. In return, younger people can cover responses at night that older members may be hesitant to, and during times like now, when Matilda’s Law is in effect.  Fortunately for all, DAT is currently able to handle most responses virtually to conform to social distancing rules and protect the volunteers and neighbors they serve.

To learn more about what it means to be a DAT member, please contact your local Red Cross chapter, or you read more about it here. 

-Story by: Karin Schneider, American Red Cross Communications Volunteer

Becoming an American Red Cross Volunteer

Becoming a volunteer is a different process for everyone. Maybe you want to help the community, build your skills, learn more about an organization or just want something to fill up your time. Whatever it may be, your volunteering is always welcome and wanted. At the American Red Cross your time and talent can make a real difference in people’s lives.

The volunteers at the Red Cross help people prevent, prepare for and recover from disasters in America; support for members of the military and their families; blood collection, processing and distribution; health and safety education and training; international relief; and development.

90% of the American Red Cross workforce is made up of volunteers, so as you can imagine the Red Cross is always looking for more.

Once you become a volunteer you’ll get your own profile online where you can log hours and set yourself goals.  

Even if you don’t want to become a volunteer you can always donate or give blood.

Being a volunteer doesn’t just mean being on the front line, it is also about being behind the scenes. This could range from writing grants and getting the Red Cross story out to the community to administrative work and stocking supplies. The volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross are endless, and every little bit helps.

Joining the Red Cross was one of the best decisions I have made. I joined as an Intern because I was interested in the work they do and the people they help. I have only been here for a couple weeks and I love it. I am not on the front line at the moment but I know whatever you do here at the Red Cross helps, and I know I will stay on to be a volunteer for a long time.  

Check out some more Red Cross stories and see why you should sign up to be a volunteer today!

--Emma Reeve, Communications intern