It got a little colder this week in Southeastern, Pennsylvania. I could tell because I got requests for scarves, hats and gloves, which, it turned out, had all been “donated” to the school Lost and Found sometime last spring. Apparently, nothing spoils the mood of a sleepy teenager more than the absence of his favorite winter hat on a cold morning walk to the bus stop. I suspect my son will survive, but protection from the cold is important to keep in mind this time of year.
For many of us, especially the very young and the very old, overexposure to cold can cause injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia. Also, as temperatures drop, people may try using alternative heat sources, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning or fires. The Red Cross offers these tips to stay safe in the cold weather:
Out in the cold:
Dressing in several layers of lightweight clothing keeps someone warmer than a single heavy coat.
Mittens provide more warmth to the hands than gloves. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers the ears.
Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep feet warm and dry and to maintain one’s footing in ice and snow.
At home:
Never operate a generator inside the home, basement or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment needed directly to the outlets on the generator.
Prevent frozen pipes – when the weather is very cold outside let cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
Bring family pets indoors or provide adequate shelter and water.
Avoid using a stove or oven to heat your home. Keep a glass or metal fire screen around the fireplace and never leave a fireplace fire unattended.
If using a space heater, place it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface. Turn the space heater off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
Keep the car’s gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.
If someone does get stuck, stay with the car. Do not try to walk to safety. Start the heater every hour for ten minutes and turn on the lights to help rescuers find you. Also, crack a window away from the wind to let in air.
My 12 year old son is currently obsessed with Mythbusters, the show on the Discovery Channel where two crazy special effects guys blow stuff up in the name of scientific analysis. The other day, we were watching a show from the second or maybe third season about combustible Christmas trees. We learned that when a spark from an overloaded wall socket hits a dry tree Christmas tree, the ensuing blaze is incredibly cool to watch – on television. As a homeowner about to set up our own tree for the season, I was appalled. According to my son, I shouted something at the TV that wasn’t very parentally responsible. I maintain I said “Holy Cow!” Never mind, I’m here to tell you that a Christmas tree fire is a potential four alarm affair. No kidding.
Luckily, the Red Cross has some great advice about setting up Christmas trees while taking fire safety into account. Please consider the following suggestions:
Purchase flame retardant metallic or artificial trees.
Give a live Christmas tree plenty of water to keep it moist and fresh.
Keep trees at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces or radiators.
Never put a candle on a Christmas tree.
Make sure lights are in good condition.
Safely dispose of trees as they become dry and needles begin to drop.
Don’t let old dried out trees hang around! Dispose of trees through recycling centers or community pick-up services.
Always unplug tree and holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.
Avoid overloading electrical outlets by not linking more than three light strands.
Use decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to embrace the “metallic” Christmas tree, but I’m a firm believer in keeping the tree away from heat, not overloading the lights and turning it off for bedtimes and departures. The idea of Christmas lights getting hotter and hotter on my tree as I’m sleeping holds no appeal whatsoever.
Don’t believe us? Here’s a recent tweet from the Philadelphia fire department with some of the same ideas attached.
If you want to keep your family safe this holiday season, follow these rules for maintaining your Christmas tree fb.me/1j7wlf1x1
Of course, it’s not only the tree. We have a tendency to burn more things this time of year!
We open up our fireplaces and wood stoves. We get out our candles and oil lamps. It is our natural and human instinct to bring light to these darkest days near the winter solstice. And there is no more beautiful light than firelight. The Red Cross has a whole list of safety tips regarding these activities. Please follow this link to learn more.
We give you joy of the season. Please be so, so, so careful with your lights and flames.
– Posted by Communications Volunteer Sarah Peterson
Wayne Sundmacher with American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania CEO, Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes on the day of his donation.
The following is an account of an auspicious meeting between Red Cross donor, Wayne Sundmacher, and Red Cross volunteers shopping for non-perishable food items at a BJ’s Club store in Hamilton, New Jersey. At the spur of the moment, Wayne stepped up to cover a substantial bill for Red Cross supplies to be distributed to residents affected by Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey at the cash register.
He says:
After having spent four days without electricity or hot water, our lights came back on early Saturday morning. That’s just an inconvenience, and nothing compared to our friends who lost their home. My wife and I felt very lucky to have only lost some roof shingles, some food from our refrigerator and our electricity for four days.
As a State employee, I had some involvement in emergency management and was painfully aware of the plight of those left homeless by the storm. I was also aware of the great volunteer response by organizations like the Red Cross, and how they were endeavoring to meet the needs of thousands of people affected by the storm.
On Sunday morning November 4th, I was shopping at BJ’s Club in Hamilton, NJ, restocking perishable food items that we had lost during the power outage. I was surprised to find the aisles crowded with American Red Cross volunteers, scurrying about, collecting case after case of non-perishable food items. Their enthusiasm was inspiring, and I wanted to find some way to help, but also didn’t want to distract them from the important work they were doing.
American Red Cross Southeastern PA staff and volunteers shop for food and supplies at BJs in Hamilton, NJ on Nov. 4, 2012 on their way to Northern NJ and New York City
When I arrived at the check-out, I turned to find Red Cross volunteers with several flat-bed carts, waiting in line behind me. My only thought was, “What can I do to help?” Certainly, the volunteers weren’t set up top take a donation, so I did the next best thing. I approached the young man behind me, with an offer to pay for the first $100 worth of food items they rang up.
While I thought my $100 offer would go a long way, the very first case of food the Red Cross was purchasing rang up at $214. Sometimes, you just have to go with your heart, and not consider your wallet. Rather than try to split up the purchase, I just told the cashier I would pay the full cost of that case of food. I cannot tell you how good it made me feel, to know that food I had just purchased would be distributed to someone in desperate need, that very day. And the cost? Well, that’s a couple less dinners out, and a few weeks without doughnut shop coffee. I think that’s pretty easy to bear. – Wayne Sundmacher
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Here’s a link to a great post on Wayne’s Facebook page where he challenges friends to make a donation of their own to help the efforts of the American Red Cross in New Jersey.
We are incredibly touched by his generosity and second him in encouraging others to follow his example. Thanks Wayne!
By the way, over the course of the weekend of November 3-4, the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania sent 17 teams of volunteers to New York City and Jersey City to distribute food and and water. In all, our teams distributed more than 48,000 food items and 20,000 bottles of water to residents in New York and Jersey City. (More photos here. Scroll to second half of set to see the store and distribution pictures.) This was just a small part of the large-scale response by the American Red Cross to Superstorm Sandy.
The American Red Cross does not accept or solicit small quantities of individual donations of items for emergency relief purposes. Items such as collections of food, used clothing, and shoes often must be cleaned, sorted, and repackaged which impedes the valuable resources of money, time, and personnel that are needed for other aspects of our relief operation.
–National Red Cross Website
Here in the offices of the Southeastern Pennsylvania American Red Cross, I sit very near two lovely young women who are in charge of managing donations, large and small, for our disaster relief efforts in general and, more recently, our efforts to mitigate the suffering caused by Hurricane Sandy. They also take calls from people who wish to hold fundraising efforts of their own and then donate the results to the Red Cross.
These women do essential work. Without them, we would have been much less successful in collecting funds for this enormous project. They also face a surprising challenge. Citizens call all the time and want to donate stuff. By “stuff”, I mean things, items, objects they already own but no longer have need of. Judging by the quantity of these calls, mountains and mountains of “stuff” awaits redistribution. And, it’s human nature that our generosity immediately finds a focus on items we no longer need. It’s much easier to give away a winter coat that’s been living in the attic for ten years, or the paper towels we overbought at Costco, than the cold hard cash we need for our own future purchases.
Unfortunately for those kind-hearted folks on the other end of the phone, the Red Cross cannot accept material donations. There are many excellent reasons for this policy. First, material donations require warehouses for storage before they can be redistributed. Second, these donations do not always meet the needs of those we serve. (When you collect the winter coat from the attic, you might also be tempted to throw in that old Fisher Price Playhouse Kitchen – a sweet and generous gesture, but not much use in an emergency). Third, material donations need to be sorted carefully, cleaned and showcased in a way that allows those in need to access them without too much trouble. This is a very difficult task to accomplish and takes away resources from meeting the urgent needs of those affected by the disaster.
Here at the Red Cross, our goal is to provide effective disaster relief to victims of terrible events. Please check out the “what-we-do” section of our website if you would like more information. The components of our mission are food, shelter and relief from suffering. When Hurricane Sandy struck, we needed volunteers to set up and man shelters and meet the physical and emotional needs of displaced residents. We needed spaces to house relocated citizens and, most importantly, money to purchase and deliver blankets, cots, pillows, food and other daily life essentials. This is a great article about why material donations can sometimes do more harm than good. There are many others.
We have been astounded by the generosity of the people of our region. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The two young women who sit near me are inundated with offers to give money and offers to fundraise even more. These donations will help us do our work in the most effective way possible. To those, who call with material donations, we commend your impulse to help. Please understand when we say we cannot take your material donations and refer you to agencies that do.
American Red Cross Disaster Action Team Leader and Disaster Mental Health Specialist Danelle Stoppel is always on the short list of those to be sent to assist with national Red Cross responses. She’s referred to around our chapter as “Deployment Danelle.” She recently deployed to New York to assist with the Sandy response by providing essential mental health services to folks dealing with the aftermath of the superstorm.
Below is a compilation of messages and photos Danelle texted to our Director of Communications. It will be updated periodically until her return.
November 16
Arrived at Manhattan (Greater New York) Chapter Headquarters. It was wonderful to meet up with people I have worked with on other DRs (Disaster Responses). I have been assigned to the borough of Queens which includes several hard-hit areas. I will be meeting with my team tonight and tomorrow we have been assigned to the bulk distribution sites throughout our area. The atmosphere at Headquarters was upbeat, but for those who have been here for several weeks report they are exhausted and due to very low drives to and from work sites and desperate conditions in the hard hit areas.
June from Far Rockaway. she lost everything in her home to Sandy. All she really needs is a good pair of boots. Strong woman from Jamaica who made her home here 22 years ago. she loved to work with the elderly and is truly inspirational.
Bulk distribution teams are now going door to door delivering clean up kits in Far Rockaway. We are working in teams with nurses as 1475 start coming in.
Spontaneous volunteers with car loads of clothes, etc. helping anyone in need in Far Rockaway.
Door to door clean up kits are being delivered to Rockaway residents. I am now working with bulk distribution on a team with nurses and mental health specialists.
I can’t talk about individual people, but it is very sad. People look like they have been in a war zone. I love being on the ground with real people. I miss everyon.
SEPA Volunteers Anthony and Ben with our ERV which have been serving meals and distributing items to those affected by Sandy in NY.
Tomorrow, I return to the same distribution site. Due to the lack of housing options, we are staying in Manhattan, only 20 miles from the worst natural disaster to hit New York. Being downtown close to Times Square, it’s hard to imagine that such widespread disaster exists. the leadership in NYC has made it easier for the Red Cross to function. Our vehicles do not pay tolls and there is a facility where we can fill up our vehicles for no cost. Our hotel is parking our vehicles at no cost. The amount of people focused on this disaster is evident in all areas of the city. The respect for the American Red Cross is evident when you speak with people and so many people have gone out of their way to thank me.
November 17
Saw Clifton (SEPA COO) this morning. He looked well rested and was attempting to control the crowd of people trying to out-process (leave the job).
I am working with a young man from Kentucky. He was emailed a newsletter from the American Association of marriage and family therapists asking for volunteers to work with the Red Cross. He applied and was quickly approved and arrived in New York City four days later. Talk about fast-tracked and bringing good people into the Red Cross…
November 18
Today, I partnered with an international agency called Heart to Heart and delivered mental health services to their clients. Many did not speak English and I interpreted for them. This part of Queens is home to many nationalities and cultures. Many families from Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico sought medical advice due to lack of electricity which destroyed their daily supply of insulin. I heard a very comment that no one could believe this could happen in New York. Many people stayed in their homes until the water reached their porch. Perhaps the most distressing aspect is the impact of Sandy on senior citizens here and in New Jersey. Losing their homes and all their belongings has impacted them physically, economically and emotionally.
November 23
Yesterday was Thanksgiving, but not in Coney Island. Some areas have no stores open. The people depend heavily on the Red Cross for one meal a day. There are many people of Russian descent who do not speak English.
November 25
Each day is a challenge and yesterday and today were more profoundly so. We were called to a high rise apartment in Brooklyn. There, we met with a mother of a 47 year old gentleman who has been severely disabled since nine years old and is wheelchair bound. He no longer has the use of his
legs and his left hand. Despite his physical limitations, he works as a lawyer in Manhattan. He lives on the fourth floor, and when the storm hit he was unable to leave his bed due to the loss of electricity. He was eventually hospitalized five days later due to hypothermia. He has returned home, but cannot function due to the loss of his van, which was lost to salt water erosion.
November 26
Today’s challenge was thirty senior citizens who lived on Coney Island. We evacuated them to a shelter in Brooklyn miles away
from their small neighborhood. They are seniors who are living independently with staff who assist them to remain independent. They are now living in a shelter in another building. They have no hot meals since they normally cook for themselves. While they are being assisted by personnel they know, they are crowded together in a strange part of New York where they know no one. We will be returning to assist them with the ongoing stress associated with the loss of their privacy and their community on Coney Island.
Stoppel with Lauren Watson and Noel Green
November 27
Hey, look who I ran into at 7:30…SEPA is in the house.
November 28
Noel and his team. Two days on this disaster response and Noel has again become the GO TO MAN. Philly is making a difference…..lending our best to Manhattan.
Noel and his Team
Danelle and her team out to dinner
November 29
Finally we are together to share a meal…
November 30
Bryan showed up at our outreach in site in Broad Channel. Great seeing Bryan!
For the past several days, I have been on an outreach team. We are returning to places we know very well. This time we are armed with supplies, water, food, clothing, batteries, cleaning kits and winter coats. Disaster victims needs are endless and after one month, they are tired, cold,frustrated and desperate. People living on the outer islands are now experiencing very cold weather. This team concept is an effort to find people whose needs have notbeen met. Often, these people have lost everything. Housing shortage appears to be the greatest need. People from Coney Island are now living in hotels in Manhattan.
Parents are driving their children back to Coney Island, Rockaway and Far Rockaway daily to attend their neighborhood school, which is open. Hotels cannot handle all of these people since the holiday season is coming.
Danelle with client
December 4
Today is the last day I will be on a team visiting families who lost a loved one in Hurricane Sandy. I have had a great deal of experience in the last year on these teams. I am always humbled to meet families and hear their stories. It requires one to hold back on emotions in order to get the job done.
When we give the family the donation from the Red Cross we say, “This is from the American people.” This is why I volunteer for the American Red Cross.
I will be back in Philly tomorrow and my Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross family will surround me and I will be grateful that I represented them here in New York.
Almost three weeks ago Superstorm Sandy roared ashore and devastated vast parts of our region. She destroyed the homes of tens of thousands of people, disrupting and/or inconveniencing the lives of millions of others. I’ve wanted to write about this for more than a week, but whenever I set aside time to do it, something more pressing always came up.
American Red Cross Southeastern PA staff at the scene of a massive fire in the Rockaways section of Queens. The fire was a direct result of Superstorm Sandy.
For starters, I have mixed feelings about the result of Sandy. On the one hand, I feel eternally lucky that my home was spared any damage. I didn’t even lose power. Most of my friends were also spared. My brother and his family in north Jersey had no power for more than a week, but otherwise were fine. I am also grateful the Philadelphia area largely dodged a bullet. Yes many people had damage to their homes and cars, and tens of thousands lost power, but relatively speaking, Philadelphia and its immediate area avoided a catastrophe.
That’s obviously not the case with our friends and neighbors to the east and north. This is why I’m conflicted. I feel terrible about what has happened along the Jersey shore and New York. It’s awful. Basically, I’m glad it didn’t happen here, but heartbroken it happened there.
American Red Cross Southeastern PA staffers stop at this home in the Rockaways section of Queens during a tour of just some of the damage. This home in many ways is symbolic of the damage Sandy inflicted.
No matter the conflicted feelings I have about Sandy’s destruction, however, one thing I am not conflicted about is my pride in the Red Cross. No non-governmental or military organization can do what the Red Cross does on the scale it does it, as efficiently and effectively as the Red Cross. NOT ONE. Sure things haven’t been perfect, but the Red Cross is fulfilling its promise and its mission to alleviate human suffering. We are providing emergency relief to tens of thousands of people every day. There is no disputing that.
American Red Cross Southeastern PA spent thousands of dollars on food on its way to New Jersey to deliver food and supplies to hundreds of people.
American Red Cross Southeastern PA staffers hand out food and supplies to hundreds of people at a Rite Aid in a hard hit area of Jersey City, NJ
Southeastern PA has sent (and will continue to send) dozens of volunteers for several week deployments to help with things like food and supply distribution and mental health counseling.In addition to that, we send dozens of volunteers for day-long and weekend trips to NY and NJ. Many drive the big trucks that distribute food and supplies. Others literally walk door to door in hard hit neighborhoods (video below).
There will be always be critics. The Red Cross is not and should not be above criticism. But any criticism that attacks the effort and will of the Red Cross and its volunteers and staff nationwide, is entirely misguided. The dedication and commitment of a Red Crosser is unparalleled. Period. End of story. There are bound to be missteps during a relief operation the size and scope of Sandy. Perfection, though, is not the goal because the Red Cross does not set unattainable goals. Success is the goal. And by any measure the Red Cross response to his point has been a success. And the ongoing support the Red Cross is receiving is a remarkable reflection of that.
I love my job. I love the feeling I have knowing I work for an organization dedicated to helping people. But I won’t lie; there have been plenty of days when I couldn’t wait to get home. I couldn’t wait for this to be over. I couldn’t wait for my phone to stop ringing and my email to stop buzzing. And I wasn’t even in NY or NJ.
Just like with any job, there are frustrations, politics, and silly rules; days when it feels “like just a job.” But in the midst of a disaster, those things ultimately don’t matter. You jump into action. You do what needs to be done. You hope you’re doing some good and helping people.
Now I can confidently say that I’m no longer hoping. I know for sure that I am.
(Below, compilation of news clips summarizing American Red Cross Southeastern PA preparations for and response to Sandy.)
This is not the first time Palisades School District Superintendent Dr. Bridget O’Connell has spent a few days in a shelter. Just about this same time last year during Hurricane Irene this school district opened its doors to the community. “Last year we didn’t have the same kind of power outages but we opened the middle school for showers and hot meals,” recalled Dr. O’Connell.
Palisades School District Superintendent Dr. Bridget O’Connell at an office inside the Red Cross shelter at Palisades High School set up to help people displaced by Hurricane Sandy. photo: Erik Knight/American Red Cross
The school has long been the center of this community where the district serves families in five townships covering 100 square miles. Dr. O’Connell sits alongside Donna Holmes, director of community relations and development and I in a dimly lit room off the main hallway of the building that houses those impacted by Hurricane Sandy over this last week. Their faces are wind burned and they pull small hand warmer packets out of their gloves without taking their eyes off their smart phones. “Tuesday AT&T was down, so these became paperweights,” she says with a smile, “it’s an awesome team I work with.”
A Red Cross volunteer assists Bucks County residents and other community volunteers distribute supplies outside Palisades High School Photo: Erik Knight/American Red Cross
As the weekend approached, it’s a juggling act. Making sure all of the evacuees are being cared for, along with volunteers from the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the Palisades Youth Crew. There’s a steady stream of people passing through the room carrying boxes of food to the kitchen area. “There’s going to be stuffing and turkey and something with apples apparently,” Dr. O’Connell laments as a volunteer carts bags of apples past us. When I ask about school on Monday, she pulls what was a sheet of copy paper out of her pocket with a diagram on it, “It’s all sketched out. If power is restored ‘Plan A’ is to move the shelter to another area.”
Food at the Palisades High School Red Cross shelter in Bucks County, PA. The food was available to shelter residents and people from the community in need of a hot meal. Photo: Erik Knight/American Red Cross
As power continues to comeback on, many residents are coming to the school for a hot lunch, supplies like shovels, work gloves and water. But perhaps even more important is the sense of community the school is able to provide. “Just talking to people…making it personal,” she says, “things are still optimistic compared to other places (hit by Hurricane Sandy).” Donna Holmes highlights the importance of the students learning through service. “Volunteering like this promotes leadership. It gives them a real glimpse of what it takes,” she says, “student, leadership, service.”
Palisades High School Red Cross shelter residents Nikki and Sheila share a laugh while waiting for their power to be restored. Photo: Erik Knight/American Red Cross
Our time together passes quickly. As Dr. O’Connell puts her gloves back on and gathers the empty zip lock back that held her cold cut sandwich from lunch she says, “We set a very high standard last year and we’re proud of that.” That pride shows.
About 20-30 people called the Palisades High School gymnasium home following Hurricane Sandy struck Bucks County. photo: Erik Knight/American Red Cross
We walk back down the hall as Donna and she point out key players in this relief effort; school board members, the principal, families of students who are also storm victims but are volunteering. We head back out to the parking lot where cars continue to line up and get supplies. More pallets of bottled water are coming and going. It is a true community effort, neighbor helping neighbor, strangers becoming friends, kids learning to become leaders, all in the parking lot of Palisades High School, a community institution.
It was early (for a Saturday at least) when I got the call from Dave asking me to come to the shelter. He had been there all night and had fatherly duties he needed to fulfill. I was a little nervous as I had never been to an active shelter response and I wasn’t sure what to expect. As I got ready I scrolled through the Twitter feed that Dave had updated throughout the night. I had no idea the fire had affected so many people and it was just up the road from where I lived! Dave came out to meet me when I arrived at the shelter and updated me on the situation. Several of the displaced residents had found friends or family but around 20 remained. My job was to serve as the contact person if reporters wanted to interview a volunteer or client covering the Wyncote fire. I was also responsible for getting any new updates out to the public.
I ended up doing so much more than that.
Since it was my first time and I was hobbling around on crutches due to a fractured foot (from a sports injury) I wasn’t sure I would be able to help very much but I soon discovered that the Red Cross provides so much more than basic necessities. It provides human comfort and compassion in the face of disaster.
While I waited to hear back from a reporter I started to talk with another volunteer, Greg. We got on the subject of basketball, which as a Dallas Mavericks fan I was happy to commiserate with an equally disappointed Sixers fan. As we chatted, one of the residents joined in the conversation. We talked about our favorite players and moved on to football and he told us about his favorite teams and players. Our conversation turned to our families and he told us about his new granddaughter. Then he stopped and said that he wished he could show us pictures but they were all on the new smart phone his son had given him which he lost in the fire.
I reminded him that the great thing about living in this day and age is that cherished photos on cell phones are digital and can be retrieved. He agreed and told us that talking with us had allowed him, briefly, to forget about everything he had lost. He told us that the fire had started from his apartment and you could see the pain in his face as he relived the events of the night before.
I quickly changed the subject and Greg and the resident told me about their favorite Philadelphia stores growing up.
It was during that conversation I realized that what volunteers provide, more than a warm meal or a cot and blanket is compassion. Losses in a fire can be devastating and the Red Cross provides support. We reach out to someone who is suffering and ease their worries, remind them of what they still have and help them keep going. The ability to reach out to someone who is suffering and maybe for a time, ease their worries and remind them of all the things they have not lost and to keep going.
It takes 30 seconds, a minute… maybe 5 minutes if you need a ladder and maybe a full 30 minutes if it means a trip to the store to purchase a new one… but checking and replacing the battery in your smoke alarm can SAVE YOUR LIFE.
At a recent fatal fire response, we were reminded how important these short minutes can be.
I never need convincing that Red Cross volunteers are the salt of the earth. I know that already. I don’t need to be at an event to know how dedicated and committed Red Cross volunteers are. But there is just something about our annual Celebration of Volunteers event that makes what they do individually and collectively awe inspiring. No matter how much you already appreciate them, this event makes you appreciate them even more.
More than 400 American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania volunteers were on hand for the 10th anniversary of the event. It honors all Red Cross SEPA volunteers and the amazing work they do each year for disaster survivors in the Philadelphia region and across the country.
I know many of the volunteers personally. I’ve met them at disaster scenes or various functions. They all have their own reasons for volunteering. Each brings their own skill sets and strengths. Just like any job.Noel for example, received our Disaster Action Team Captain of the Year. He was so deserving and got a rousing cheer when his name was announced. He’s very unassuming and upon first meeting him, you’d never figure him for a take charge, DAT captain. But he owns his own company that does computer techy stuff I’ll never understand. He is a leader by any definition. And we are lucky to have him. There’s Jen, who is not only a Philadelphia firefighter full-time and Red Cross volunteer, but she also runs Red Paw, a non-profit that takes care of pets temporarily following a disaster so families can focus on their recovery. She showed up to the event in a sling because one of the dogs in her care bit her arm and the injury was so bad she required surgery. But that has not deterred her. I was tweeting back and forth with her a few days ago as she was responding to a disaster. I didn’t know about the attack. She was already back at it just days after the attack. She’s a better person than I am. There’s Sarah Shabaglian. I had never met her. She’s no longer technically a volunteer. But at 93 years old, she was being honored for her service to the Red Cross and our Armed Forces. She served in World War II in Italy and Okinawa helping our GIs and their spouses get back to the U.S. She was decked out in her full Red Cross military uniform. What an amazing moment that was for the entire room.
Noel with his Disaster Action Team Captain of the Year award at our Celebration of Volunteers event. Pictured with SEPA’s Volunteer Chair, Chairman of the Board and 6ABC’s Alicia Vitarelli
Jen with her special partnership award for her work with the Red Cross on behalf of Red Paw. Pictured with SEPA Chair of Volunteers, Chairman of the Board, and 6ABC’s Alicia Vitarelli
Sarah (Sally) Shabaglian received a special Services to the Armed Forces legacy award for her work on behalf of the Red Cross during World War II
I could give you example after example of volunteers with amazing stories. These were just three. The volunteers don’t do what they do to get awards and recognition. Many don’t even want it. But to me this event is about more than just recognition. It’s a way for all the volunteers to enjoy each other outside of a moment of disaster. A chance for them to reconnect or meet for the very first time. The Red Cross is a family after all. Sometimes dysfunctional, but always caring, always looking out for each other and those we serve.
One thing I am always struck by when I meet a volunteer for the first time and tell them what I do. They almost always respond by saying, “I’m just a volunteer.” I always try to nicely correct them. I am the one who should be saying “I’m just an employee.” I get paid to serve the Red Cross. I get paid to serve those who have been through a disaster. They do this because they love the Red Cross, they love the mission, they love helping.
Our CEO really struck a chord with me during her remarks at the event when she said the volunteers are the reason she gets up and goes to work in the morning.
“I don’t like asking for things,” she said. “But asking for things is my job. And I do it because of you. You and your work make me want to ask for things.”
That’s pretty powerful. And it hits home with me because the Celebration of Volunteers is a lot of work. Both in the planning and execution. A lot goes on behind the scenes. A lot. It’s hard. It’s time consuming. It’s comparable to Red Ball, at least when it comes to my role. But the people in the room that night deserve it. My effort pales in comparison to theirs. They make it worth getting up in the morning on days you’d rather not.
So on this day after the Celebration of Volunteers, we are already thinking about ways to make next year’s event even better and ways to improve the entire volunteer experience in general.
So if you’re looking for a place where your volunteerism is needed and appreciated. Where your efforts have a direct impact on lives that you can see. Where you’re part of a small local and large global family consider the Red Cross. Consider being the reason why others go to work in the morning.
Video highlighting volunteer deployments (4 minutes)
Mission Moment from Celebration of Volunteers featuring the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (1 min 15 sec)
