April is a month of showers, flowers, and volunteer
appreciation. Okay, so that didn’t
rhyme, but volunteer appreciation is probably the most important part of that
equation. The Red Cross is only as
strong as its volunteers. Period.
Our volunteers are strong if they are well trained, have the
resources they need to do the job, and like being where they are, doing what
they’re doing. And they do
everything! From teaching CPR classes to
kids on how to handle disasters; from meeting with fire clients having the
worst day of their lives to handing out water to a tired firefighter; from
driving blood products to needed locations to staffing shelters during a forest
fire; from greeting people at the front door of a Red Cross office to checking
the tire pressure of a vehicle.
As a paid employee, I probably don’t say “thank you”
enough. That said, I think our
volunteers are worth more than appreciation. Volunteers need something deeper. Something that can’t be put into
words, but can only be felt through action and the smiles and tears we can’t
always express in public.
I'd like to share a story: Last month, a man called me about
volunteering in one of our rural counties. He didn’t have a computer and couldn’t register through the website, so
a local volunteer leader agreed to meet him at the public library. It turned out that the man (who also brought
a few friends) had special needs and lived in a group home. A couple of his friends couldn’t even
read. Now, he wouldn’t be able to do
many of the regular positions at the Red Cross, but in this small community,
everyone knew him!
My community volunteer leader was able to make him and his
friends “community ambassadors.” They wear their Red Cross shirts proudly and
share the work of the Red Cross at community events. They pass out business cards to those who
want more information. I asked one of
them why he was so excited about being a Red Cross volunteer.
“Because I’m part of something, Miss Michelle!” he said to
me. “I’m part of helping people.”
What more can be said?
Thank you all for helping people!
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