Regional Executive Corner with Joel R. Sullivan – Sept. 2019

Teens can help the American Red Cross! 

September brings the return of school and that means back to the books, Friday night lights, and the return of many high school blood drives. It is a great time of year for teens to engage with their fellow students and serve in their communities.

The American Red Cross provides great volunteer opportunities to learn skills that will help them in the future, earn hours toward scholarships, give lifesaving blood and prepare their community for the next disaster. Our youth engagement initiatives allow students to become empowered and develop leadership skills by supporting our different lines of service. 

Currently, youth volunteers make up 16 percent of our volunteer base across the Tennessee Region. We have a goal to increase that number to 25 percent by 2021. We are increasing our Red Cross Clubs in several high schools this year. We are also working with Taylor Parsons, Miss Tennessee’s Outstanding Teen, and a Northeast Tennessee Red Cross volunteer as our Youth Engagement Lead to attract and train more young people to volunteer with the Red Cross across the Region. 

There are many ways we will grow our youth volunteer numbers in the Tennessee Region: 

• Youth will serve on Home Fire Campaign teams as a smoke alarm installer. (Age 16/17 with adult supervision).  
• Organize, promote and recruit donors for blood drives at participating schools during the school year.  
• Participate in our Missing Maps program to put millions of people from high-risk countries on the map.  
• Join a thank-a-thon to call and thank past donors and volunteers or write thank you cards to them.  

These are but a few tasks youth leaders can volunteer in to support the Red Cross mission. I ask each of you to encourage the teens and young adults of your friends and family to get involved in our Chapter activities. They will be helping their community and learning different skills that will support them in their future. Volunteering is as easy as visiting redcross.org/volunteer and registering as a volunteer. That will start them on their path to helping others. 

The American Red Cross is a place for all people who have a passion in their hearts for service to their community. Let’s engage our youth and develop our future for the next generation of volunteers. 

The need is great. The work is rewarding. I am asking you to help us engage the youth in our community.

Joel