A Top New Year’s Resolution: Volunteer to Help Your Neighbor
As the New Year brings the tradition of resolutions, consider helping people in need as a volunteer in your community.
During the coronavirus pandemic, families continue to depend on volunteers throughout Washington State every day for emergency support following home fires, wildfires, flooding, and severe winter weather.
“Just knowing that someone is there to lend a helping hand during these trying times provides a light of hope for our neighbors ,” said Alex Dieffenbach, Northwest Region CEO. “Please join us by resolving to help as a Red Cross volunteer and ensure no one faces life’s emergencies alone.”
WHY I VOLUNTEER
Colleen Protzman of Kirkland, WA was part of the team that responded to the Oso Landslide in 2014, she remains involved with our Disaster Response efforts throughout the Northwest Region and beyond because of how fulfilling the work is. “We can’t undo their loss, but we can be there, we can listen, we can show them we care,” says Protzman. You can read her volunteer story and others on our regional blog: RedCrossNW.org.
HOW TO HELP The need for volunteers is constant, and everyone’s well-being is our top priority as we work with public health officials to safely deliver services during COVID-19. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including our most-needed positions:
- Disaster response volunteers: Most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes are local home fires, which can destroy nearly everything a family owns in a matter of minutes. Partnering with local fire departments, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers connect with families by video or phone call to provide emotional support, emergency financial assistance and information to help families begin to recover.
- Blood donor ambassadors and transportation specialists: Blood donations are essential to the health of our communities, and blood donor ambassadors are a vital part of this work by welcoming visitors and taking their temperatures before entering Red Cross facilities and blood drives. Visitors could include potential blood donors, people seeking help, training course participants, and Red Cross employees and volunteers. We also have a high-priority need for transportation specialists to help deliver blood from our facilities to local hospitals.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.