Northeast Tennessee Volunteer Spotlight: Yvette Fortner - March 2018

Yvette is a new volunteer with the American Red Cross of Northeast TN.  In August 2017, as a part of her Master’s Degree program through Benedictine University in Chicago, she began an internship at the American Red Cross.  Having completed her requirements last month, she has decided to remain on the job as a volunteer to complete her projects!  With degrees in both Public Health and Business she should have a wide variety of choices in her professional job search.

With 3 children at home – ages 11, 7 and 3 – Yvette is a busy mom and student!  She still finds time to come into the Red Cross two days a week to give her valuable time to help others.

During her time with the Red Cross, she has learned about many of the Red Cross programs and spent time visiting a family to assist after a fire.  She also worked with others to organize and staff an event for Homeless Veterans in the Johnson City area.  She said the event offered many services for the vets and was expanded to include all veterans not just those who were homeless.

Yvette’s primary contribution to the Red Cross is as a key member of the team updating disaster shelter inspections for our 13 county area. Starting with learning the process for completing a shelter inspection, Yvette set up appointments at schools, public buildings, and churches where the Red Cross could potentially need to open a shelter.  Once the surveys were complete and the agreements signed, Yvette entered all data into the National Shelter Service (or NSS) database, enabling personnel to make decisions quickly when a disaster occurs as to the facility that best suits the needs – depending on location, type of disaster, and number of individuals needing shelter.  Yvette has worked as well to recruit volunteers to conduct the surveys, a huge undertaking that she is now completing as a volunteer.

During her time with the Red Cross, Yvette has learned about the numerous services the Red Cross provides in the community, has met many wonderful paid and un-paid staff, and has learned the value of collaboration and good people management.  If she had to select two things to tell people about why they would enjoy volunteering with the organization, she said “First, how many services the Red Cross provides.” She says everyone can find something they will enjoy.  And second, “there are so many great people to work with at the Red Cross.”

To join Yvette and the other great folks at the Red Cross, give Angela Morris a call at 423-765-4218  or email angela.morris@redcross.org