Southeast Tennessee Volunteer of the Month, Patti Ann Smith - March 2018

If  you’ve visited the Red Cross office on a Monday or Wednesday, or picked up cards to give to victims of home fires, you’ve probably been helped by the Southeast Tennessee chapter’s Volunteer of the Month: Patti Ann Smith.

Last August, Patti attended her first orientation meeting. Today, she is the chapter’s Business Operations Volunteer Partner.

“This is a truly worthwhile organization,” Patti said. “Even if it’s just answering the phone and telling people to call another number, I have found it very fulfilling to help – and I’m enjoying it immensely.”

Patti moved to Chattanooga from Augusta, Ga. last year after retiring from a career as an arts administrator. “I was in the process of trying to find some meaningful volunteer work when Harvey struck,” she explained. “I knew the Red Cross did that kind of work. So I called and said ‘How does this work? Are you taking volunteers?”

Once she joined the team, Patti’s first goal was to travel to help victims of hurricane disasters. When personal conflicts got in the way of a deployment, Volunteer Specialist Amanda Bisgaard asked Patti if she would like to “deploy” to the local Red Cross office instead. “I was game for anything at that point,” Patti said. “So I did.”

Now, Patti assists Business Operations Specialist Sandra Kilgore with a wide range of administrative duties. Besides taking over some key business duties when Kilgore is out of the office, she has also set up a filing system for the Home Fire Program. In addition, she takes on a wide variety of tasks – whatever needs to be done.

“I’m very glad to have made that phone call last August and to be so embraced by the people here and to be part of the team,” said Patti. “It’s easy to get comfortable in your life, and to forget that people are really struggling.  Being involved in something bigger than me has been reminds me of that every day.  I think if you’ve got the luxury of time and knowledge and desire, it’s just right to do it.”